


Tonic and brimstone

by Felidae5



Series: Stinging Beauty [3]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: M/M, Songfic, Tragic Romance, Violetshipping
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-26
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2019-11-05 18:56:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 25
Words: 42,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17924435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Felidae5/pseuds/Felidae5
Summary: Part three of my Stinging Beauty novel.Once more, let us partake in the lives of our favourite blond and his blue-eyed love.The story will be gradually updated, for the full story check out aff.net, arigatou





	1. Koi, Koibito, aibou

53\. _Koi, koibito, aibou_  
   
Panting, Katsuya dropped his luggage on the patio, walked into the bedroom, opened a window and breathed in the scent of the ocean.  
His husband, cool and regal as always, casually followed suit.  
Katsuya smiled at him.  
„It's beautiful here, and the best, we got it all to ourselves.“  
Nodding, Seto placed his suitcase and duffle bag next to the blond's, then stretched languidly and sighed:  
„So desu, ne. No nosy siblings.“  
„No chattering friends.“  
„No incompetent peers.“  
„No studies.“  
„No work.“  
Both men mustered the four poster bed, then locked eyes-and, launching themselves on the furniture, yelled unisono:  
„I'm seme!“  
A short, friendly wrestle broke out, for a moment Seto thought he was winning, and then Katsuya used some weird kind of lever technique and the CEO found himself face down on the soft comforter.  
Before he could utter a single word of protest, Katsuya had removed Seto's shirt and loosened, with some difficulties, his belt and pants.  
Smirking, the elder one asked:  
„Ok, so you won. This once. Now, what are you going to do about it?“  
Instead of an answer, Katsuya began kneading and massaging the brunet's back and shoulders, systematically turning Seto into a puddle.  
Rubbing his groin against Seto's ass, Katsuya purred:  
„So tell me, Seto-chan, exactly how deep and how hard do you want it?“  
The words alone would have been sufficient to turn him on.  
But it was the tone, that particular way Katsuya let every single syllable roll over his tongue, that sent his libido into overdrive.  
Shrugging out of his remaining clothes, the brunet snarled:  
„Do your worst.“  
If possible, Katsuya just fell head over heels in love with his husband again.  
Despite being uke, Seto's answer had not been a request or plea, but an order.  
A demand.  
Defiant, self-confident and unconquered to the very end, or so it seemed.  
Yet, Katsuya had the key to Seto's downfall.  
Discarding his own clothes, the blond flipped his husband over and moved downwards until he came to sit next to Seto's feet.  
Grasping the right limb in his hands, Katsuya then took his sweet time massaging every single sinew and muscle of the brunet's body.  
By the time he finished, Seto had practically dissolved into the matress.  
Using this moment of total relaxation, Katsuya jumped off the bed and started rummaging through his knapsack, until he found the small bottle of lubricant.  
„Spread your legs.“  
His mind still in a cozy semi-daze, Seto did as told, moaning quietly when a slickened finger probed and widened his entrance.  
In and out it went, and was soon joined by a second, even as his semi-erect member was engulfed by a warm, wet mouth.  
Entangling his long fingers in the endless golden tresses, Seto forced Katsuya's head down as far as possible, barely taking notice of the third finger preparing him.  
„Nnh, yes, that's it, koi, keep going...“  
To his disappointment, Katsuya had other ideas, because the blond released Seto's cock and positioned the tip of his own dick at the brunet's opening.  
Embracing him in a tight hug, Katsuya kissed Seto, and thrusted into him with one sharp, hard yank.  
Seto's scream was swallowed by his husband's mouth, and soon enough, the pain was followed by a familiar pleasure.  
„You like that, don't you?“ mumbled Katsuya, as he started rotating his hips.  
Groaning, his ottou shifted into a more comfortable position, then rasped:  
„More.“  
Katsuya did as told, slowly picking up both speed and force.  
Soon, the brunet was moaning and panting, elegant hands bruising taut, sinewy arms.  
„Harder! Faster!“ demanded Seto, pulling Katsuya closer.  
This one frowned, pulling back slightly and pushing back in, hitting Seto's prostrate dead on.  
The CEO's back leapt off the bed, and then Seto shouted:  
„Fuck me, Katsuya, FUCK ME!!!“  
For a second, Katsuya lost his rhythm.  
Shocked, he gaped at his husband, not believing his ears.  
Had Seto really just used those blunt words?  
Katsuya's wondrous gaze met the brunet's hungry eyes and primal snarl.  
He was drop dead serious.  
Placing Seto's legs over his shoulders, Katsuya muttered:  
„Fine. But don't say, I didn't warn you.“  
With that, he thrusted into Seto; hard, battering rams exchanging with near insanely fast shoves.  
Relentlessly, again and again, Katsuya stabbed the brunet's sweet spot.  
Seto screamed, yowled, bucked, twisted, clawed -and orgasmed with a low, guttural cry.  
Katsuya was too exhausted to give more than a pained gasp, as he pumped his seed into the CEO's body, and collapsed on top of him.  
Panting, he croaked:  
„Kuso- that-was- out-of this world. Damn, that was beyond stupid, but- totally unhealthy.“  
One shaky hand brushed the bangs from the brunet's sweaty forehead, before Katsuya kissed him gently and muttered:  
„You know, once you're awake, I will have to tell you how beautiful you are, when you're unconcious.“  
   
Where was he?  
Seto let his gaze travel over the rocks and fishes, shellfish and corals around him.  
They had gone snorkling, and all of a sudden, Katsuya had disappeared.  
Just as he dove over a swarm of macerels, something grazed his thigh.  
Seto jerked away from the touch and relaxed, when he realized that it was merely Katsuya's hand.  
A puzzled frown came over his face, when he saw the ravenous gleam in the blond's eyes.  
However, all questions were solved when Katsuya pulled down Seto's swimming trunks and started jerking him off.  
Eight minutes later, the blond gave his ottou mouth-to-mouth, because Seto had almost drowned due to the hand-job he had received.  
   
*Cough!*  
„Kuso, don't you ever do that again, Katsuya! You almost got me killed there!“ croaked Seto.  
Katsuya grinned sheepishly.  
„Gomen, but how was I to know, that you were runnning out of air?“  
Seto cast him a dark look.  
„Perhaps the way my eyes rolled back in my head might have been an indication?“  
Cocking a brow, the blond sent a half-lidded glare to the brunet.  
„Uhh, Seto, hate to break it to you, but your eyes always do that, when I whack you off. Or suck you off. Or fuck you, for that matter.“  
Grinning, Katsuya flipped the fish sizzling on the grill over, even as Seto gave another embarassed cough.  
He crossed his arms before his chest and growled:  
„All my life passed before my eyes like a cheap soap opera, and the reporters were swarming my grave. I could already see the headlines: 'succesfull CEO dies on honeymoon while indulging in underwater sex.“  
Katsuya chuckled, making Seto frown.  
„That is not funny!“  
The blond only laughed that much harder, until tears rolled down his cheeks. Finally, he regained control and gasped:  
„Ho-how about this: 'In-in the interview, his husband explained: I ca-can't believe, he is dead. He went, while he came. Sob. At least he died a happy mahahahaahaaaaan!'“  
Katsuya howled with laughter, even as Seto gracefully rose from his seat and closed the distance between them. The blond barely registered the fork being whisked from his hand and placed on the counter. He did, however, notice the hand opening the fly of his shorts and removing his member.  
„Nan de-?“ he panted, still snickering.  
And almost collapsed, when Seto enclosed his member with soft, warm lips, bopping his head back and forth in a lazy, teasing pattern.  
Luckily for him, Katsuya stood with the back to the counter, otherwise he would have probably toppled over, when Seto's free hand snuck underneath his t-shirt- and started tickling him.  
„Seto, stop, hehehee, that-that-uhn,oh yes, moore..!“  
Katsuya tried to evade the traveling fingers while at the same time staying inside Seto's mouth.  
He giggled, groaned, sweated, gasped, squirmed, whined and begged, but Seto was not to be deterred.  
The blond's face went from a slight pink to an angry red then a deep, purplish blue, as his breathing grew more and more ragged, before he finally slumped to his knees, Seto catching him, before he hit the floor.  
The blond gasped, panted, sucking in lungs full of air and basically trying to get enough oxygen into his body, while Seto stated:  
„I suppose, you have gotten an inkling of my previous predicament, ne?“  
   
He hadn't seen the jellyfish.  
Actually, he had seen it, but there was no way he could have evaded its long, sticky tentacles in time, not with the current steering them directly towards him.  
By the time Seto had pulled him ashore and soaked him with all the vinegar he could find in the house, Katsuya was shaking and had lost control of speech, golden eyes flitting about, unfocused.  
Controlling the pulse, Seto rasped:  
„Hang in there, aibou, I'll be right back.“  
He flew over the sand into the house, rummaged through his luggage searching for his flip phone, while grabbing hold of a blanket.  
He cursed, as the small device slipped from his still wet fingers and tumbled under the bed.  
Another string of cuss words, when Seto first bumped his head fishing for the phone, and then fell over the blanket, when he pressed the speed dial.  
„Naha Sea police and marital research center, how can I help you?“  
„This is Kaiba Seto speaking. My husband had an encounter with a poisonous jellyfish, and suffered an allergic reaction. His pulse is racing and he is trembling uncontrollably. I tried to neautralize the toxic with vinegar, but I am uncertain, what else to-“  
„Damn, that was unpleasant! Next time I go diving, remind me to wear a neopren suit! My whole skin feels like its on fire!“  
huffed Katsuya, as he stumbled into the hall.  
Seto only gaped at the blond he had left trembling and semi-concious on the beach, who was now approaching the fridge and picked out a can of soda, which he then pressed on the marks the tentacles had caused on his left arm.  
„Sir? Sir? Are you still there?“  
„Ha..ii. Listen, err, it appears the jellyfish was not quite as toxic as I supposed at first, seeing as my husband is already up and about again. I-I assume, the vinegar did the trick.“  
„I see, he was lucky then. Yet, keep him under constant watch, remind him to drink lots of tea and also pour some of it over the wounds, preferably after letting it set for at least fifteen minutes. Oh, and try to keep him still for another twenty-four hours, wakarimashita?“  
„Yes. Arigato.“  
„Do itashimashite!“  
Hanging up, the CEO continued gawking at his husband, not really believing his eyes.  
Katsuya had meanwhile opened the can and drunk half of it. Giving the brunet a puzzled gaze, he asked:  
„Nani?“  
Seto only shook his head.  
„Katsuya, you are incredible.“  
„Shirimasu,“ grinned the blond,  
„that's why you married me after all!“  
   
Endless, muscular legs crossed at the ankles, Seto lay on the bed, reading an scientific article focusing on the connection between atypical weather phenomenas and the drastically sinking amount of North-Pacifical whale populations.  
Katsuya stepped out of the shower and, drying himself off, said:  
„I feel much better than before, Seto. Honto ni. It's amazing, what a dozen cups of tea and a hot bath can achieve.“  
He tossed the towel onto a chair and, climbing onto the bed, prowled over to Seto.  
Nuzzling his husband's neck, he purred:  
„Ja, wha'tcha say, koibito? How about some..celebrating?“  
The brunet smirked:  
„You heard, what the lady said: no vigorous activity for the next twenty-four hours.“  
Katsuya pouted.  
„Mou-“  
„Besides,“ Seto gave a thourougly nasty grin,  
„you smell like katsuo marinated in tea and pickles.“  
The blond face-faulted, then snapped:  
„So, you mean, I'm a stinking turn-off?“  
Rolling his eyes, Seto replied:  
„That's not what I meant, but I don't think it wise to have sex as long as the poison still runs through your veins.“  
Cool, regal blue held fiery, angered gold, then the blond hissed:  
„Fine. Be that way.“  
Katsuya rolled off the bed and stormed out the room.  
Seto heard him rummage through the fridge and various cupcoards, then pass the bedroom on his way to the bath.  
Minutes went by, until Seto's curiousity won the better of him.  
Sneaking after his spouse, he quietly opened the bathroom door -and almost ejaculated at the sight before him:  
Katsuya lay sprawled across the vast sink combination, right leg hooked over the watertap, left dangling off the counter, and pleasing himself with a bottle of vanilla sirop.  
Seto watched the small flask slide in and out of the blond's rectum, the creamy white fluid serving as lubricant and filling the bathroom with its sweet smell.  
It was overwhelming; the view, the scent, Katsuya's soft, mewling groans...  
Before he even knew it, Seto was bent over Katsuya, carefully removing the bottle from this one's widely stretched rectum.  
Kneeling, he then proceeded to lick the sweet fluid from between Katsuyas' cheeks, before pointing his tongue and thrusting it inside the blond's opening.  
His haigusha gasped at the the sudden intrusion, then purred in delight, as he felt Seto's clever tongue trying to catch every single drop of sirop.  
Once Katsuya was cleaned to the brunet's liking, Seto rose and, placing Katsuya's tanned legs over his shoulders, forced his swollen erection past the ring of loosened muscles, making the blond squirm in excitement.  
„I thought, I was supposed to keep still, for the next-uhn!-twenty-four hours?“ moaned Katsuya.  
„You were also su-supposed to be-hrr-unconcious for a while, so I fail to see, why we shouldn't -kami-!“  
Katsuya had shifted his hips, raising the pressure on his husband's cock, and was now bucking in need.  
„Come on Seto, take me, take me!“  
Smiling, the brunet followed the blond's wish, shamelessly taking advantage of this one's somewhat helpless position.  
He pistoned in and out of Katsuya, pinning him down with his body weight, lest this one fell off the counter.  
„Katsuya, Katsuya, oh kami, Katsu-chan, you're so beautiful, Katsuya...“  
Named one was in a world of bliss, the forcefull penetration driving him near insane.  
Seto bit into his shoulder and Katsuya jerked, his foot hit the tap and luke warm water sprayed over them, but none of them noticed.  
Grabbing his haigusha around the waist, the brunet lifted Katsuya up and impaled him anew.  
Katsuya clung to Seto's neck and wrapped his legs around the CEO's hips, knocking the bottle of vanilla sirop off the counter.  
The glass bounced off the small carpet and rolled under the sink, the liquid dribbling onto the tiles, forgotten.  
A different liquid trailed down Seto's stomach, when Katsuya threw his head back and yowled the brunet's name as he orgasmed, raking his nails over Seto's back and leaving  
bloody trails in the soft skin.  
For a second, both paused, then Katsuya rose his head and, looking his husband straight in the eye, rasped:  
„Cum for me, Seto. Cum hard.“  
He was caught in the dark, golden orbs, he couldn't deny the power those eyes had over his heart, his body and soul; he was a mere puppet, a plaything created to bring pleasure to and fulfill the blond's every desire.  
Katsuya smirked.  
„Ima.“  
And Seto sobbed, as pure ecstasy claimed him and triggered a release of such power, it sent bolts of lightning into his brain and made him see stars.  
Semen, intermingled with vanilla sirop, lazily run out of Katsuya's entrance, down the brunet's cock and legs, and then, Seto collapsed, taking Katsuya with him.  
He was trembling, when Katsuya embraced him and began rocking them back and forth, kissing and petting his face and hair, whispering aishterus and passionate nothings into Seto's ear.  
They would have to remember to buy some of that vanilla sirop on the way home.  
   
He was obviously not into the game.  
How else could Seto have allowed him to destroy three of his monsters along with twelve-hundred lifepoints and not even so much as blink, let alone scowl?  
„What's bothering you?“  
Seto frowned.  
„Tomorrow is our last day here.“  
„I know. But that's not what you're thinking about, right?“  
Smirking, the brunet shook his head.  
„Iie. I'm worried about Mokuba. And how he's fairing as my replacement.“  
Katsuya smiled.  
„Relax, koibito. He's a smart boy, he's been following you long enough to know how to deal with the heavy hitters, and besides, you had everything prescheduled for him, ne?“  
Placing a long, calloused finger against Seto's lips to halt the oncoming protest, he hushed:  
„Besides, we are only gone for eight days. I mean, what could possibly go wrong in one week?“

Horrified expression on his face, Mokuba stared at the blank screen before him.  
Then he gulped and whispered:  
„Seto's going to kill me, once he gets home..!“

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
*chuckle* Trust me to add Mokuba's soon-to-come untimely demise right after the honeymoon. Don't worry, the little tyke will surely find a way to weasel himself out of the situation..perhaps. Maybe.  
Also, I wanted to write Seto using the F-word as it's supposed to..and of course show Katsuya's still slightly accident-prone side.


	2. Giving out standards

_54\. Giving out standards_

Thank kami for failsafes and back-ups, otherwise Mokuba would have been steak tartar.  
Actually, Seto had assumed that his newest VR-game might overtax his system, however he was not prepared for a complete crash-down.  
The damage was not irrepairable, he could easily reconstruct the software from the various copies he had made.  
Still, he was not pleased.  
"Did you try to turn my motherboard into deep-fried tempura, or what?"  
roared the CEO, when he first inspected the havoc.  
Mokuba winced.  
"I only did what you told me, I ran the program for twenty-four hours straight; when I came to check on it, the computer announced a 'fatal system error' and just -shut down. Honto ni. I-I'm sorry, Seto, I know how hard you worked-"  
"No, it's ok," sighed the CEO, as he reached for the test protocols.  
Scanning over the mass of codes, searching for a clue as to what might have caused the failure, he asked:  
"How did the deal with Meisei go? Are we in on their newest adaption?"  
The raven-haired teen smiled proudly.  
"Hai, nii-san, and you'll be glad to hear that I managed to get it even 15% cheaper than you predicted!"  
Mokuba felt a warm, fuzzy feeling run down his spine at Seto's incredulous stare.  
"Na-nan de? Fifteen? But..but how-?"  
Whisking some imaginary dust from his shoulder, the younger Kaiba explained:  
"Well, you know that Meisei's production process isn't quite up-to-date, ne? Thusly, they are going to deliver three days later than agreed, and I told Kobayashi-san that that stood in direct violation of our contract, and so he had to agree on giving us a nice, big reduction or hand over half of his company to us.  
And since we both know that it's only a matter of time until Meisei will be forced to sell their ownership rights to a bigger company or close down, it would have been completely pointless to buy them up now, when we can get them almost for free within an year or two."  
Throughout Mokuba's speech Seto's eyes had widened more and more, as he gazed in amazement at his younger brother.  
As the teen ended, a rare grin had spread over the brunet's face and, rising from his seat, he declared:  
"That was -ingenious! Kaiba Mokuba, if you weren't my brother and I not happily married, I would kiss you!"  
"And aren't we glad, that both of this facts apply!"  
mumbled the younger one, before he made a mad dash for the door, narrowly escaping his brother's hug.  
   
"I'm not amused."  
He really wasn't.  
Obviously, someone had taken advantage of his week-long absence and turned his dorm upside down; papers and books were strewn across the floor, his clothes ripped from the hangers and stomped on, the bedsheets soiled and in disarray.  
The better part of his CD collection was missing, along with his stereo and favourite leather jacket, the windows had been smeared with soy sauce and ketchup, even as the large, black inscription on the wall read: "gay fuckers never promote".  
Amber eyes narrowed and darkened in anger, even as Jou turned on his heel and stormed out of his wrecked room, slamming the battered door closed behind him.

The director had known about the infamous 'Kaiba glare'.  
However, he was not prepared for the CEO's husband being able to sport one of equally destructive power.  
"What do you mean, 'inconviniences'? Have you taken a look at my room, sensei?" snarled Katsuya.  
Shrugging, the director tried to emit an air of poised authority, although he was fidgeting inwardly.  
"I am sure, they meant no real harm, Jounouchi-san. It was just a stupid prank-"  
"Forced entry, damage of private and school property and stealing are not something to joke about, at least as far as I'm concerned."  
Rising to his full height, the blond gave the director a level gaze.  
"But if you think it funny, I'll be sure it will make for one good laugh as the University papers' head-line, ne?"  
   
Within a week, the culprits had been flushed out and forced to leave Toyohashi Daigakkou for good.  
   
Shocked silence reigned the conference room.  
Finally, one of the directors croaked:  
"Go-gomen nasai, Kaiba-san, but I am not certain that I understood you correctly..?"  
The CEO smirked, fingertips pressed against each other, enjoying the horrified look on the other men's faces.  
"You did hear well, Kitamura-san. As of his upcoming sixteenth birthday, Mokuba will officaly take over the seat of vice-president of Kaiba Corp. Seeing how well he handled the deal with Meisei, I deem my brother capable of living up to the challenge. Of course, he will remain under my constant tutelage, yet he might require a certain..guidance, which, I am convinced, all of you will provide in abundance."  
That had not been a request, but an order, and the counselors assembled knew better than to argue.  
Mumbled reassurements and half-meant congratulations echoed through the room, even as Seto gave Mokuba a triumphant grin.  
Who returned it with the biggest, proudest and most cheerful smile ever.  
   
Taking a drag from his cigarette, the bulky man stared at the gates and the blue sky above.  
Gently coming closer, his persuer gave a reassuring smile and declared:  
"I have been watching you."  
A short flicker of brown eyes, then a grumbled:  
"I know."  
Perceptive and aware, yet capable of remaining seemingly unsuspecting.  
Good.  
Standing next to the taller one, the elder man mused:  
"I believe, we have something in common?"  
His vis-à-vis eyed him from head to toe like something that had just crawled out of the sewer, then snorted:  
"I highly doubt that."  
Grey-brown orbs were covered by paper-thin lids, an amused sound escaping their owner's throat.  
"Yet, there is someone we both would rather see dead, ne?"  
A short sniffle was the only idication that his listener was even remotely interested.  
"I'm speaking of Kaiba Seto, of course- or in your case, Jounouchi Katsuya."  
There was a dark-red gleam, both at the tip of his cigarette, as in his eyes.  
   
He knocked, and waited.  
When he didn't receive an answer, he knocked again, this time a little louder.  
Again, there was no reply, so Katsuya punched in his own personal code to Seto's laboratory and entered.  
The sight he met brought a smile to his face:  
Cradling the decrepit motherboard in his left arm, legs drawn to his body and screwdriver resting loosely in his right hand, Seto lay on the floor admidst cables, wires, RAMs and processors, fast asleep, a content smirk tilting his lips ever so lightly.  
Shaking his head, Katsuya gently came closer, careful not to step on any parts and pried the device from Seto's grip.  
He picked up his husband and, carrying him bridal style to their bedroom, whispered:  
"What's that saying? The difference between men and boys is the price of their toys."

 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Ok, I want someone to draw that final scene. I tried to do a couple sketches, but they just ended up being meh. Particularly Seto's expression would be akin to a young child's having fallen asleep beneat he Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, cradling its presents...  
As for Katsuya being able to cast the Kaiba GlareTM..well, he married the brunet for a reason, ne?


	3. Wonderful time up there

55\. _Wonderful time up there_

Mokuba's 'inthronation' hadn't been too much of a hassle.  
Seto had summoned the entirety of Kaiba Corp's leading heads, made his announcement, then Mokuba had introduced himself, taken up his seat next to his brother at the head of the table and the Kaiba brothers had immediately turned to the matters at hand, i.e. business.  
The evening, however was an entirely different matter.  
   
„I despise teenagers!“  
„What?“  
shouted Katsuya back, trying to hear his husband over the cheering caterers and stomping beat of the blaring music. Seto rolled his eyes and roared:  
„I said, I hate teenagers!“  
The blond grinned.  
„Is that so? But I thought, you loved your brother. And what about Shizuka?“  
Huffing, Seto replied:  
„That's different. Mokuba is my brother and Shizuka quite mature for her age.“  
Katsuya smiled -then frowned. His eyes went first wide, then narrowed.  
„Speaking of which -excuse me a moment.“  
   
Tracing the pouted lips with his tongue, he let his hand slide underneath the silky blouse and cupped the soft, velvet-encased mound.  
A quiet moan escaped the girl's throat, even as she grasped the man's shirt in a desperate grip in order to regain some control.  
„Hm-hm.“  
Each a pair of olive and green-brown eyes stared up at the six point two god of war towering above them.  
The very enraged god of war.   
Gulping, Hiroto moved his hand from where it rested on Shizuka's chest, even as the young  
woman's breath hitched.  
Her ani was smiling down at them.  
The kind of smile a shark would give one before tearing off their limb.  
„You are aware, that this is a birthday party, ne?“  
Both brunets nodded.  
„And that there are minors present?“  
Another nod, this time clearly embarassed.  
Katsuya smiled again, before bending down and, grabbing Honda's collar, snarled:  
„Would you then mind to behave accordingly?“  
   
Standing near the kitchen, arms crossed before their chests, Honda and Shizuka sent half-lidded glares at the door.  
„Oh, Seto-mhm-yes, babe, yes...“  
The looks darkened, even as the brunet growled:  
„How come they get to play dirty and we're supposed to keep our hands off each other?“ Shizuka sniffed hautingly.  
„Probably they think the staff is used to it by now, and that since the children are forbidden to enter the kitchen, there's no harm done.“  
Honda snorted, even as the soft clanking of bottles against one another could be heard, then:  
„No, Katsu-chan, not the soy sauce...“  
Equal horrified expressions appeared on the couple's features, then both tore down the hall at a speed that would have made Ben Johnson gape in awe.  
   
Mokuba was having the time of his life.  
Not only because Seto had allowed him to invite his entire class aswell as Yugi-tachi, but because he was dancing with Kaminari Reiko, his secret crush.  
The girl was quite amazed at the boy's moves, obviously Mokuba not only inherited his brother's cunning mind, but his dancing talent as well.  
Momentarily she was being whirled around, then caught in two lean arms and lifted off the ground.  
Reiko squealed in delight, eyes shining with admiration at the raven-haired teen, who wore a smile of pure adoration.  
The tune changed, a soft, sweet melody filled the room and various couples assembled on the dancefloor.  
Looking somewhat dishelved and out of breath, the houselord came stumbling in with his husband, who sported a healthy flush.  
Both caught sight of Mokuba swaying cheek to cheek with a cute, dark-haired girl. Seto blinked, even as Katsuya smirked:  
„Oh, how cute -Mokuba's got a little girlfriend!“  
A pang of undefined jealousy stung the brunet's heart, as he mumbled:  
„Obviously he does.“  
Katsuya gave an understanding smile.  
„I know, it's hard to let go of them and getting used to the fact that they're growing up, but you have to let him go. That's the only way to make sure he'll always stay close to you.“  
Seto nodded, hesitantly, before letting the blond lead him away from his otouto.  
He couldn't help his eyes always flitting back to Mokuba again.  
   
It was way past midnight, the last guests, which didn't spend the night at the mansion, had just been brought home with the limousine, as Seto walked down the hall towards Mokuba's room.  
„You're not going to give him the bees-and-flowers-speech, ne?“ asked Katsuya, a wry smile on his face.  
Seto shook his head.  
„Of course not. I will only advise him to be careful and take -precautions.“  
He held up a package of high-quality condoms.  
Katsuya cocked his head, pondered a moment, then grinned:  
„Funny. You never bothered with those when we used to -date.“  
Seto smirked.  
„Probably because I knew deep down in my heart, that we were meant to be.“  
The blond stopped dead in his tracks. Gawking at the brunet, he croaked.  
„Ok, who the hell are you and what happened to my Seto?“  
„Nani?“  
Clinging to Seto's arm, Katsuya quoted dreamily:  
„'Because deep down in my heart I knew we were meant to be'- that's sooo romantic!“  
He sniffled and batted his eyelashes in a very girlish manner at Seto.  
Who in turn only cocked a brow and asked:  
„Did I not tell you not to drink all that champagne? Now try to remain calm, we're here.“  
Raising his fist, he knocked three times, then turned the knob and stepped through the door, saying:  
„Mokuba, I-“  
The rest of his words never made it past his lips.

It was one of those situations where you wish to be at any given place or time than the here and now.  
At least those were Seto's thoughts, a he took in the scene unfolding before him:  
On his brother's bed lay, sporting nothing but her underwear, the very same girl Mokuba had danced with all evening long, her navy-blue curls pooling around her shoulders and over the pillow like a curtain, turquoise eyes wide and mortified.  
Mokuba himself was kneeling at Reiko's feet, frozen mid-move in the task of removing his shirt.  
An eerie silence captivated the four young people, then Katsuya cleared his throat and stated calmy:  
„Jaa, looks like Mokuba gets his good-night kiss from somebody else tonight, ne? Come on Seto, let's leave.“  
Dragging his stunned outto out of the room, he shut the door behind them-just to open it again and, tossing the condoms in, shout:  
„And _do_ use them!“  
Slamming the door closed for good, he turned to his spouse, who still wore the same blank, disbelieving expression.  
Worriedly, he caressed Seto's pale cheek, asking:  
„Koi? Dajoubu ka?“  
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, the brunet rasped:  
„I-I think I could use a drink about now.“  
Katsuya grinned, then cooed:  
„Aww, shocked much? I know just the thing to take your mind off it.“  
   
Seto screamed bloody murder, when Katsuya bent him over the dresser and pounded into him, the CEO's hands bound by the handcuffs the couple had received long ago from their siblings.  
Katsuya grinned like a madman, when he removed his still hard member from his husband and, grabbing the brunet around the waist, purred:  
„Time for a shower.“  
Seto barely registered being carried into the bathroom and leaned against the cold wall or the warm water beginning to run down his sweat-coated body. Only when his arms were lifted above his head and one hand freed, reality hit him.  
„Nan de-?“  
Click.  
Gazing upwards, the brunet saw that the handcuffs had been pulled through the holder of the shower head, pinning him effectively to the wall.  
Staring at his spouse, Seto croaked:  
„You are one sick bastard, Katsuya.“  
Said one only smirked.  
„Is that common knowledge, or merely your personal opinion?“  
Seto mock-glared.  
„A mixture of both -kami!“  
Obviously the blond was trying to swallow him whole, according to the way he went down on him.   
Seto longed to grab those golden tresses in a forceful grip and fuck Katsuya's mouth, but all he could do was buck his hips in desire. In no time at all the brunet was begging for his release and Katsuya was more than willing to oblige.  
He took hold of Seto's deliciously taut ass and lifted him off the ground, the CEO instinctly wrapping his long legs around the blond's hips. Wedging himself past the tight ring of muscles, this one grimaced a moment before resting his head on Seto's shoulder.  
Ragged breaths, only interrupted by the soft pitter-patter of the water, then Katsuya locked eyes with his outto and whispered:  
„I'm gonna make you forget everything else, aside of me.“  
With that, Katsuya rammed into Seto, picking up a hard, fast rhythm even as Seto used his legs to pull him closer, deeper, elegant hands clawing helplessly at air and steel.  
Using the wall to steady himself, Katsuya tried for a different angle as he moved his hips in circular motions back and forth.  
Seto growled deep in his chest and buried his teeth into the blond's neck where it met the shoulder, nicking the skin and drawing the smallest amount of blood.  
„Seto, Seto, so beautiful..perfect...“  
The CEO grinned, obviously Katsuya's plan had backfired, seeing how he could barely muster any coherent words or thoughts -or so he assumed.  
One calloused hand embraced his swollen cock and started stroking him in sync with the thrusts piercing his prostate.  
Seto threw his head back and shouted in satisfaction, semen spraying over both him and his spouse, before collapsing against the wall.   
It took him a while to come off his height, only to find Katsuya kneeling before him, head buried in his lap, out of commition.  
Coaxing him back to awareness, Seto had the blond free him and then they made their way to bed, slipping under the cool sheets and snuggling together.   
Seto's head had barely touched the pillow, when he was already fast asleep.  
Katsuya was just about to drift off too, when he heard a wailed   
„Mokubaaaaa!“ coming from the door.  
Giving a tired smirk, the blonde muttered:  
„What's with you guys and getting laid on your birthdays?“   
before he joined his husband in dream land.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
They grow up so fast..well, guess that makes them even, as far as walking in on each other goes. For those who don't remember Ben Johnson; he was what came before Usain Bolt.


	4. Hitting the roof

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OCs, confessions, sex...and a stunning revelation. Be ready to quirk a surprised brow.

56\. _Hitting the roof_

There are some things one can't trust another person with.  
For Seto, it was his newest project.  
That was the only reason he had come here today, facing the man before him, who bowed respectfully and, handing him his card, declared:  
„I am honored that you chose our humble little company to aid you in your task, Kaiba-sama. Please allow me to introduce myself, I'm Tsuchiya Seichi, Chief Developing Engineer here at Atsumi Electonical Enterprises. This young lady is my right hand and Layout Director.“  
The woman with the short-cropped, jet-black hair bowed and handed him her card, sparkling grey orbs eyeing him with cool, professional interest.  
„Yurakucho Ran. Douzo yoroushiku.“  
Seto nodded curtly.  
„Well then, shall we proceed? I know you are a man of little time, but I'm certai -ah, here comes my assistant. I believe, you two know each other?“  
The CEO's heart skipped a beat, although his expression gave away nothing.  
He felt like wading through molten glass, as he turned his body towards the sound of the all too familiar steps coming closer.  
The young man before him came to a halt and, bowing deeply, apologized:  
„Sumimasen gozaimasu for keeping you waiting, but I had to retrieve all the requested files before being allowed to attend your meeting. My name is Jounouchi Katsuya, at your service.“  
The Kaiba glare had rarely been cast with such force.  
   
Halfway across town, but still within the business district, in an expensive furnished office, the phone on an equally exclusive desk rang.  
The secretary picked up the receiver after the second chime, introduced herself, then listened to the caller's request.  
Frowning, she argued a moment with the person on the other end of the line, then grudgingly redirected the call to her boss' office.  
Turning off a potential client was a big no-no in her employer's book.  
   
„How dare you stab me in the back like that? And at Atsumi Enterprises of all!“  
roared the CEO, as he had finally made his way home, where his husband was already waiting for him in his office.  
Keeping his calm, Katsuya waited until Seto had cooled off a little, then replied:  
„I did not betray you, Seto. I needed a new job, I checked the web, the newspapers and what not more, wrote several hundred proposals and had dozens of interviews before I finally managed to get a job that met my expectations. It's that simple.“  
Azure eyes turned navy with anger.  
„And why didn't you subscribe to one of my companies? I'm sure they would have given you a job without a second thought.“  
The blond sighed and shook his head.  
„Which is exactly the point. Seto, you know better than anyone else that I don't take the easy way out, that's not my style. If I don't get a challenge, if things just -fall into my lap, I get uncomfortable. I feel like I don't deserve them. But if I have to work for it, fight for it, that's when I feel like myself, when I can proof that I'm worth of every single thing I can call mine. Including you.“  
Blinking in surprise, the brunet gave him a puzzled frown, and Katsuya had to restrain himself not to pat his husband's head.  
„Kaiba Seto, you are a very complex and difficult person. I realized that the very moment we met. That's why I wanted to get to know you better, so I could unravel the enigma inside the riddle, the person behind the CEO. If you weren't so difficult to figure out, I probably wouldn't have bothered even fighting with you.“  
Katsuya smiled, as he leaned over the large oak desk and cupped the CEO's face in his right hand.  
„Life has never been easy for either of us, Seto, and that's why we can't really appreciate things just going our way if we don't have obstacles to overcome. We're warriors, both of us, and need the thrill of the battle as much as each other.“  
Closing the distance between them, the blonde whispered against Seto's lips:  
„Don't worry, though, Kaiba-san. Rivaling enterprises we may be, but you can rest assured that I will spend every waking and sleeping hour in order to help you complete your project to your utter satisfaction.“  
Lust glittered in the brunet's eyes, as he snaked an arm around Katsuya's waist and growled:  
„What a coincidence. I just planned on starting an entirely different project as of now.“  
„Really?“ smirked Katsuya.  
„Which would be?“  
Swiftly, the CEO had pinned the blond on the desk and started stripping him, as he rasped:  
„Seeing how many times I can make you scream my name before you lose conciousness.“  
   
For once sitting innocently in Mokuba's room and actually focusing on their homework, the teenagers' heads shot up at the howls drifting through the hall.  
Cocking a brow, Reiko turned to the rather embarassed boyfriend of hers and asked:  
„Are they always like this?“  
Mokuba nodded, not really daring to look his koi in the eye.  
„Hai. First comes the shouting contest, then the kissing contest and finally the screaming contest. Although mostly they move from shouting directly to screaming.“  
„I see.“  
Tilting her head to one side, the young girl listened to another one of Jou's loud pleas, then mused:  
„You know, if this were a real contest, there would be at least two teams pitched against one another.“  
Pale geen eyes shone mischievously.  
„Or what do you think?“

Some twenty minutes later, the younger couple had to call in defeat...  
 

Work, studies, studies, work..it seemed as if Jou spent his whole summer break doing nothing else.  
Between deciphering scripts, cracking quotations and sorting files it seemed as if the blond had barely time to eat and sleep, let alone live.  
It got so bad, that Seto actually called in an 'Contra-Burnout Vacation' and hauled his husband all the way to their summer house, but only managed to make Katsuya worry, that he wouldn't finish his dissertation due end of the month.  
Taking all his books away and locking him into the library with Mokuba, telling him he needed to 'take his mind off things' didn't help either; when Seto returned from a emergency meeting a couple of hours later, he found Katsuya doing Mokuba's financial report, while this one played 'Baldur's Gate'.  
Confronting the blond directly proofed fruitless aswell, because Katsuya only gave him some haphazard explanation that the wedding and honeymoon had thrown him back in his studies and exams, and that Seto shouldn't worry about him.  
   
Starting school, respectively college, matters turned from bad to worse.  
Occasionally, Katsuya grew so absent-minded that it took Seto up to three attempts just to catch his attention.  
His husband spent lots of time with Hiroyuki, seeing as how Yukuri once called to mope about her soon-to-be-groom's constant absence.  
Even Yurakucho-san had occasionally voiced her concern, that Jounouchi might be rushing things a little, although his work didn't suffer under the pressure, in contrary, it grew more and more flawless the harder Katsuya pushed himself.  
Yet, the strain on the young man was obvious; he lost weight, his hair grew brittle and dull, and he now had constant circles underneath his amber eyes, which shone with an almost feverish passion.  
His family's and friends' worries grew in direct proportions to Katsuya's worsening state, but the blond payed them no heed.  
Until that fateful late September day.  
   
It was a victorious smile, if he had ever seen any, and Isono-san frowned, even as Kaiba's secretary sighed and delayed the CEO's entire schedule for another hour.  
„Come in.“  
Glancing up, Seto was surprised at seeing his outto waltzing in, carrying various folders and a told-you-so-grin on his face.  
He rose a questioning brow and Jou answered by handing over the bundle of files and declaring:  
„Project AI-15, 'Acknowledged Dreams', all ready and set to go in production!“  
Katsuya had to supress a chuckle, he couldn't remember seeing the brunet ever this flabberghasted.  
The CEO flipped through the reports and design sheets at lightning speed, never noticing the soft clicking of the door being locked.  
It was nigh on perfect; of course the entire thing needed to be tweaked a little here and there, but nothing that couldn't be done in a week's work.  
Looking up from the sheets spread across his office table, Seto shook his head in disbelief.  
„Katsuya, this is -incredible! How did you manage to do all this in such a short amount of time? You -we are two weeks ahead of schedule! Why did you feel the need to hurry to such an extent?“  
Instead of a reply, an enveloppe was pushed in his face, carrying the letterhead of Toyohashi Daigakko.  
Seto read the inscriptions, eyes widening, then read the letter again, stuttering:  
„They -they're moving you up to the higher classes? You passed all exams for the current two semesters and are being cut short one year of studying?“  
„Yes, that's why I've been working so hard the whole summer, so I can get out of college one year earlier and focus solely on work. I must admit, designing background graphics is far more interesting than aftertrygonometry.“  
Gazing up, Seto was met by the wonderful sight of Katsuya removing his shirt, blazer and tie, his shoes and socks already having been dismissed.  
„Katsuya, I have a meeting in fourty-eight minutes...“ objected the CEO lamely.  
His husband made a great show of opening his belt and pulling down his zipper. Fly open, Katsuya then sauntered around the desk, giving his hips that little extra sway that always managed to crumble Seto's resolve, while collecting the files and stacking them neatly together.  
„We tried to fulfill your every dirty little phantasy, Kaiba-san. Compared to AI-15, the X-Box seems like a better Gameboy Classic. I'm certain, you will be thrilled with our work.“  
Sinewy hands began stripping the CEO of his shirt, even as Katsuya's voice turned low and needy.  
„I assume, a little -token of gratitude is well-deserved.“  
Silk and cotton fell to the floor, even as Seto groaned and removed his remaining clothes, ready to claim his spouse.  
He was rather surprised, when Katsuya instead turned him around and bent him over the desk, whispering:  
„As I said, a little token of gratitude -strawberry or vanilla?“  
The brunet chose vanilla, but only because he didn't trust his tongue not to trip over the strawberries. His mind turned to mush, as Katsuya drove one finger into him, whispering technological details about his project into the CEO's ear.  
It didn't take him long to prepare Seto, and soon enough his large member drove in and out of his husband, who demanded more insight on AI-15 and more fucking.  
When Katsuya snarled the words 'light chip', Seto lost it completely; he threw his head back and roared, semen splattering over his stomach and the polished surface beneath him, effectively ruining his eight million yen desk.  
For a while the couple just lay there, panting, then Katsuya sighed and confessed:  
„There's a little catch to the upgrading, I'll have to take a semster in a foreign University.“  
Seto frowned, he couldn't imagine spending even a day separated from his love, leave alone six months.  
„Define 'foreign.'“  
The blond gulped, then hushed:  
„Germany.“

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
What, you thought I would send him to UCLA? Harvard? Oxford? Too cliché, my dears. Also, I should start copyrighting my OCs, they are far too numberous to keep track...


	5. Quick and steady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am aware that Seto is somewhat OOC in this chapter, but there is a good reason for that. Plus, the return of some old friends.

57\. _Quick and steady_

A double wedding is always a sensation, especially if Kaiba Seto is among the invited guests, his husband Jounouchi Katsuya the best man -and Muutou Yuugi one of the two grooms.  
Once it had been decided that Anzu would be going to New York and Gokasho would join Katsuya in Leipzig, both Yukuri and Yuugi lost no time in dragging their respective spouses down the aisle.   
The girls had decided on a western style wedding, which was just fine for the guys, who were rather happy not being forced to change suits a couple of times over.  
Speaking of which, Yuugi seemed very pleased with his choice of clothes, the navy-blue tuxedo he wore made him look taller and broader than he really was -not that he  
needed it anymore, his last growth spurt had managed to bring him just a little over Anzu's height, for what both were grateful.  
The brunette had her silky hairs pinned behind her pearl-ringed ears, white roses adorning her pale yellow dress with the short, puffy sleeves, laced gloves and wide, ankle-length skirt.  
Yukuri's dress wasn't quite as long, but embroidered with irises and chrysanthemes, her curls flowing freely around her shoulders in copper tresses, hands protected by short gloves with cut-off fingers.  
Brown, gold and green, Gokasho's three-piece appeared to have been designed solely for him, bringing out his brilliant eyes and charming features.  
So far, the ceremony had run smoothly, the vows had been exchanged flawlessly, the rings were at hand(Katsuya had actually managed to produce Yuugi's and Anzu's on cue) and the couples were busy kissing, before they turned and walked down the aisle, being showered with flower petals and rice.  
Seto noticed his groom shifting nervously in his seat, and, giving him a questioning look, leaned closer to him.  
„Katsuya? Daijoubu ka?“  
The blond bit his lip, a faint blush coming to his cheek, as he peeked from underneath his long bangs at the CEO and rasped:  
„Think, there's a bathroom nobody uses?“  
One brow was lifted just a bit, then lowered in concern.  
„I'm not certain. Why, do you feel as if you are going to be sick?“  
Katsuya shook his head and grew deep crimson, as he muttered:  
„Iie, I'm fine. It's just-this whole show reminds me of our own wedding, and that makes me..incredibly horny!“  
   
„Moku-chan, where are your brother and giri no ani*?“  
„I'm not sure, I thought they said something about Katsuya not feeling well, and that they'd be waiting by the limo. Why do you ask?“  
Reiko shrugged.  
„Ja, it's just that Anzu informed me that everybody's ready to take off for the restaurant, and that our -your car was fifth in line, right behind the couples and their parents.“  
Mokuba sighed, as he lead his girlfriend to the waiting car.  
„Guess there's nothing else we can do but wait for them, I mean, they both know where we're heading and Seto can always call in the spare driver, ne?“   
stated the ebon-maned teen, as he opened the door for Reiko-  
„SHUT THE DOOR!“ came the enraged chorus of two male voices and Mokuba reacted swiftly, however not without getting a nice eyeful of the happenings inside.  
As did Reiko.  
Who stood there for a moment, entirely horrified, then turned to look at her boyfriend and hushed:  
„Did-did your brother just pour-“  
„Don't!“ hissed Mokuba, hands raised in defense, trying desperately to remove the picture from his memory,   
„just-don't say it out loud, ok?“  
   
Katsuya squirmed under Seto's hands, as this one licked the mixture of honey and whiskey from his errect shaft.  
„Nnh, koi, you-you're so good to me...“  
The brunet smirked, letting his tongue trail over the blond's entire length and circle the tip, then moved a little higher on Katsuya's body and dipped his tongue into this one's navel.  
Bucking his hips, Katsuya begged wordlessly for more, when suddenly a stray thought passed his mind.  
Lifting his head to gaze at Seto, he mumbled:  
„We're going to leave any minute now, but we can't have Mokuba and Reiko riding here with us. Not with the mess we made, anyway.“  
The CEO only snorted.  
„There is more than enough space in the front, and I doubt the driver will mind some company. Now spread your legs, so I can fulfill my matrimonial duties.“  
It was rather distracting for the chauffeur having to listen to Katsuya's foot bang repeatedly against the closed window panel in his back all the way to the hotel.  
And, needless to say, entirely embarassing for Mokuba.  
   
The wintergarden had been perfectly illuminated and decorated, and the caterers were eating, drinking, talking and having a good time.  
Between the last dish and the dessert, the band began to play, and that's when the trouble started.  
Each newly-wed couple danced separately to the wedding waltz, then each of the brides with their respective father.  
And that's when Hiroto had to open his big mouth and declare that Yukuri was just as good a dancer as Anzu, if not more so.  
Naturally, Anzu felt both insulted and hurt by that statement and challenged the taller brunette to a dancing contest.  
Since both Yuugi and Gokasho had the proverbial lead in their feet, it was soon decided that Seto and Katsuya would double for them.  
First they pitched Anzu and Katsuya against Seto and Yukuri, then switched partners, after that it was girls vs. boys and finally everybody against everyone.  
Katsuya won narrowly before Anzu, but only because his hairclip came off and his waistlong, golden tresses created a stunning effect when he whirled around and threw his head back -the audience never stood a chance.  
Yukuri and Seto shared third place, though the CEO didn't seem to be bothered by that fact as much as the student.  
By the time the contest ended, Seto and Katsuya were completely beat, Yukuri complained about her hurting feet and even Anzu had to admit, she felt somewhat tired.  
Of course, that was the moment the parents, respectively Sugoroku, stepped up and declared that they rather the newly-weds would rest and eat a little in order to „be fit to uphold the family line“-i.e, produce heirs.  
Anzu almost choked on her fruit salad, Gokasho and Yuugi sported the most brilliant red since the invention of the tomato and Yukuri only moved her mouth soundlessly in shock.  
The pictures Seto took at that very moment in time would make for many an embarassing moment for the four in the coming years...  
   
One hand caressed his cheek, the other one his chest, and Katsuya sighed.  
Today was Seto's birthday, but somehow, neither felt like celebrating.  
Considering the blond was leaving in two days, it was no wonder the CEO clung to him like the proverbial feather to the bird.  
At the moment, Seto was gently, thouroughly exploring and mapping Katsuya's body with his hands, eyes, lips, fingers and mouth, as if he had never seen it before -or as if it were the last time he would ever see it.  
Finally, when Katsuya already thought he would go crazy with anticipation, Seto lay down next to him, pulled him close and whispered:  
„Why do you always have to leave me, Katsu-chan? Why is it you always keep slipping through my fingers, when I think we're closest? How -how come you always seek refuge  
from me?“  
He didn't knew wether to cry, scream, groan or hit Seto over the head, so he settled for an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes.   
„We are not going to have the same discussion we had two years ago, ne? Seto, for kami's sake, stop being so -clingy! I'm not running from you, and neither am I putting distance between us on purpose, but because I have to! You of all people should know about the sacrifices one must make for a carreer! Besides, I'm not doing this only for myself, but for the both of us.“  
Seto gave him an indifferent look, and Katsuya returned it with one of fearful hope and desperate love.  
„Aibou, why do you think I went through all this trouble doing my exams now? Why else do you think I want to leave college earlier, but to get into business?“  
Azure eyes slanted a little, suspecting the answer but wanting to hear it anyway.  
Katsuya smiled, as he leaned down and, letting his breath tickle the brunet's lips, hushed:  
„The earlier I'm done studying, the sooner I can join you and work for you -for, with, around and beneath you, Kaiba-san. Then we can see each other as often as we wish and will never be separated again by stupid schedules and meetings, because we will arrange and attend them together. It's only six months Seto, and when I come home, I will finally be on a level with you, so we can set the tracks for the coming generations of holographic-oriented software. How do you like that?“  
Seto's eyes danced with emotion and then a single tear ghosted over his cheek.  
He swallowed hard, as he cupped Katsuya's cheek and croaked:  
„I would love it, Katsuya, just -just please...“  
„Hai?“   
The blond kissed the salty pearl away and snuggled up to the brunet.  
All of a sudden, Katsuya found himself in a vise-like grip, even as Seto's chest heaved with supressed sobs, when he choked:  
„Please, Katsuya, just promise you'll come back to me. Promise you -you'll never leave me alone again. I-I couldn't bear it..“  
He buried his face in the blond's shoulder, tears running down his face.  
„Onegai, kobito, onegai, promise -promise you'll return to me.“  
His husband held him as tight as he could, gently stroking his back and hair, as he whispered:  
„I promise.“  
   
Hefting his duffle bag over the shoulder, Katsuya stepped forward to say goodbye to his family and friends.  
Shizuka threw her arms around her neck, crying and wishing him all the best, as did Honda, Anzu and Yuugi. Gokasho and Yukuri had left one day prior to the blond, seeing as how they were heading for their honeymoon, the other student would then meet with Jou over in Germany.  
The Muutou's would be spending two weeks in Barbados, then Yuugi would help Anzu accommodate to her new dorm in NY, before heading back home to the Kame Game shop and his soufu#.   
Waving, the couple headed for the second terminal, where their plane would take them to the Carribean paradise.  
Mokuba sighed, as he closed the distance between him and Katsuya and, looking up, muttered:  
„I already miss you, giri no ani, and you're not even gone. Think, you'll be back for Christmas?“  
Before he could reply, Katsuya felt two strong arms encircle him and gave a tender smile.  
„Seto-chan, I-“  
His words were swallowed by a wicked, eager tongue plundering his mouth and leaving him entirely breathless.   
For a moment, the world merely consisted of those warm, azure eyes capturing his own golden ones, and the fire Seto released inside him through their connected lips.  
„Last call for Lufthansa flight number 187 to Frankfurt, Leipzig, Berlin, Lufthansa 187, all passengers aboard please.“  
Reluctantly, they broke apart, neither one ready to let go, then Seto frowned and rasped:  
„Onegai, Jounouchi Katsuya.“  
The blond's expression turned serious, and he nodded once, firmly.  
„I promise.“  
   
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Hmmm, there are too many weddings in this fic..dunno what this says about me. Oh, and don't try the honey-and-whiskey-on-your-dick-stunt at home kids. Just..don't.


	6. Freude, schöner Götterfunken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is probably one of the longest non-lyric chapters of the entire part. Plus, it's also very fluff. I don't do fluff well. Just a heads-up.

58\. _Freude, schöner Götterfunken_  
   
-“Katsuya?“  
-“Seto, konban-wa, I just called to say I arrived well!“  
-“Really? I'm glad to hear that. How was your flight?“  
-“Very quiet, but I thought I'd never touch ground again -oh gods, I'm so jet-lagged, I can't even think straight, haahahahaa!“  
-“Katsuya, focus, you're in a foreign airport and have almost no knowledge of the language..“  
-“No worries, koi, I'm already past the passport check and -kuso- verzeihung, darf ich-hai, vielen Dank -gomen, aibou, I just had to pick up my luggage. You were saying?“  
-“Sigh. I was trying to tell you to pay attention, I don't want you to get lost in the airport.“  
-“Hahahahahaaaa, are you kidding me? This place is like, tiny, it would fit at least four times into Narita -chikushou, my train -Seto, I gotta go, or I'll miss my train! I'll call you back, once I get to the university. Suki da!“  
-“ Katsuya, matte-“  
Click  
-“...aishteru, Katsu-chan.“  
   
   
Studentenwohnheim W2, Fachhochschule  
Leipzig, October, 30th  
   
Dearest Seto,  
Gomen nasai for not writing earlier, but the past two days have just been crazy! Between claiming my textbooks, meeting my fellow students and getting to know the surroundings better, I was too busy settling in my room to find the time to write.  
It's been two days since I last saw you(three, actually, considering I flew from east to west) and already I miss you. There are moments I feel like I have been hauled up in here for years, and I imagine you touching me while I'm sitting on your desk, waiting for you to finish reading your latest report.   
This morning I awoke sweating and panting, remembering how good it feels having you inside me(to be honest, I'm still sore from the last time you fucked me- sorry about the harsh word, but there's no other way to say it^^).  
I received the curriculum for the next three months, and while I'm looking very much forward to my first class, I can't help but wanting to take the next flight back home.  
I miss you so much Seto, if it already feels like this after three days, I can't even imagine how it will feel like in three weeks.  
Take care, aibou, and think of me sometimes. I always do.  
I love you.  
   
Yours always  
Katsuya  
   
P.S: Say hello to Mokuba, Shizuka and the others for me, ne?  
   
   
Domino  
City, November 8th  
   
Katsuya-koi  
Your letter arrived yesterday, and I must admit, I was a little worried after your last call; you seemed to be rather busy, each time we started a topic we were interrupted by someone requesting your attention.  
Truth be told, it made my blood boil with rage. Those few moments should have been ours and ours alone, and yet, there were constantly people getting between us.   
No, I am not jealous, just possessive -hence the sore spot...  
Speaking of which, will you be able to make it home for holidays? I long to renew my brand on my property -just kidding, although I do love marking you -did the teeth marks already vanish? There is no point in making people think I am abusing you. Making you scream in ecstasy, yes, but not abusing.  
Your voice echoes off the walls, although you're gone. The house has never been so big, so empty and abandoned. Or my bed so cold and lonely -kami, Katsuya, when did it happen? When did I loose myself so much in you that I can't find myself in my own reflection? How come I feel like breaking down and giving up when you're not by my side?  
And yet, I would not want it any other way, because I know you feel the same way about me, and that makes me both the most miserable and happiest man on earth.  
Arigatou gozaimasu, Katsuya, for being mine and making me yours.  
   
In eternal love  
Seto  
   
P.S:  
Greetings from Yugi, Anzu, Ryou and Honda; Shizuka and Mokuba are asking if you're going to be home for Christmas respectively New Year's eve 

 

„-Moshi, moshi?“  
-„Sh-zuka, hello, how-rite imo- -ing?“  
-„Nii-san? Is that you?“  
-„No, Kuro-wa Akir- O-genki desu k-“  
-„Genki desu, arigatou. How about yourself?“  
-„Niisan?“  
\- „-men nasai, Shizuka, the connec-really bad, we've hit the cen- -f a snowstorm, but otherwise, we're fi- Say hello to the others, and -- to keep Hond- -bay, ne? Ja, and tell Yuku- -“Go- sho is here too and --------“  
-„Nii-san? Nii-san? Katsuya?“  
„----------------------------------------“  
   
   
Women's dormitory,   
Toyohashi Daigakkou, November 21st  
   
Anata,  
Thank you for your letter, I'm so happy to hear that you're doing well and adapting fast. How are the teachers and other students? Did you get your own room, or do you have to share it with somebody? Do you get enough to eat? What kind of food are they serving anyway?   
And how is Jounouchi-san fairing?  
Oh gods, listen to me, one month married and I already sound like the average worried little wife...  
I can't help it, Gokasho, you being so far away from me breaks my heart a little more every time I think about it. I just hope you will be home for ganjitsu, I couldn't bear not being with you on New Year.  
Onegai, aibou, be careful, try not to get into fights or trouble, wakarimashita? I'd hate you to get hurt, especially if I'm not there to protect you -speaking of which, I hope you're doing your katas everyday, ne?  
Well, I suppose there is not much more to say except that I love you and miss you terribly. Please come home soon, Gokasho, I feel so lonely without you.  
   
Forever yours  
Yukuri  
   
P.S: I got a new phone number-0771-47-75-11-call me whenever you feel like!

   
-“Kaiba.“  
-“Sheesh, whatever crawled up your neck and died? Or did your stocks drop?“  
-“!!!-Katsuya, this is a business line, why are you calling me in the office -did something happen? Are you hurt?“  
-“...Nice to see you're still assuming the worst. No, not really, though I got bad news. Koi, I-I can't make it home for New Years, let alone Christmas. They hooked me up to that special project of theirs and- well, it's a great honor to even be allowed to get some insight on it, but actually working with the group -wow. I'm still a little stunned, I mean, this is like, I don't know, I can't compare it with anything...“  
-“Hn. So basically, you called me to tell me that you once again reached for top and succeeded, and that's why I must now spend holidays without my favourite playtoy?“  
-“..Should we ever divorce, I'm going to sue you for verbal abuse- a playtoy? Oh, yeah, and about your letter, what the hell were you thinking when you wrote that?!? Branding and marking your property?!? What am I, a prized milk cow?“  
-“I think, the term stallion would be more fitting, especially considering your-“  
-“Seto, this is a business line, no point in alienating your associates, ne?“  
-“Heh. You're cute, when you blush.“  
-“'m not blu -oh gods, now I am! Thanks a heap, koibito!“  
-“Anytime, aibou. Sigh. Listen, I got three calls on the other lines. If there is nothing else, I will be going. Are you home tonight?“  
-“Sitting next to the phone waiting for your call, husband mine.“  
-“Hnh. Good boy.“  
-“.......“  
-“Katsuya.“  
-.“..pffhh.!“  
-“Aishteru, Katsu-chan.“  
-“So do I, Seto. So do I.“  
-“Until tonight.“  
-“Hai. Ja ne.“  
Click  
   
   
Domino City, December 12th  
   
My sweatest Anzu,

It has been a month since we last saw one another, and I feel lonelier than ever. Each morning I wake up, expecting to see your beautiful blue eyes smiling at me and meet nothing but the emptiness of my bed. You said you would be home for holidays, so I'm making preparations of moving our things into the master bedroom -ojichan said, he can't wait for the next generation of Muutous to crawl through the Game shop -the nerve of that man, sometimes..  
Although I must admit, the thought of becoming a father does appeal to me, but everything at its own time, ne? First things first, and our first priority should still be your dancing career -how are you doing anyway? Gomen, here I am, bragging on and on about how lonely I am, and not thinking one minute how much lonelier you must be, all alone in a city full of people you don't know.   
It scares me to think, that you have to take that dark path from school to your place twice each day -please make sure that you always have someone walking with you, ne?  
As for the news, well, there really aren't many -ojichan had a cold, but is getting better, the shop is running quite well, Mai and Otogi are spending their holidays in Hawaii(they invited us over, but I said I would have to ask you first), oh, and greetings from Ryou, he sent a card from England -sounds like he fell in love with some ryougakusei from Canada, can you imagine?  
Sorry, I'm babbling I know. It's just -you're so far away, and I can't get used to it.   
I'll never get used to it, never mind how much time passes. I know I'm being selfish, but I want you here, next to me, in my arms- Anzu-chan, I love you so much, I loved you from the very moment I set eyes on you, but never found the courage to ask you out.  
And now that we're married, I find myself wanting to shout my love for you from the top of the roofs.  
I love you, Anzu, and nothing is ever going to change that.  
   
I love you always  
Yugi  
   
   
Honda cocked a brow, then smirked.  
„'Zuka-chan, come and look at this.“  
Puzzled, the young woman joined her boyfriend, who handed her a postcard.  
She gazed at the picture and giggled.  
„I wonder who was the poor guy who had to take the shot“ grinned Honda.  
On the photo, which was glued upon the card, Ryou could be seen feverishly kissing a young man with wild, dark hair and tan complexion, underneath in bold, golden letters the inscription read:  
„Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, minna-san!“  
   
-“-and so Gokasho summoned the Dark Elf and blasted the other one's Red Cyclops clear off the field. Looks like I'm a pretty good DuelMonsters trainer, ne?“  
-“Hn, perhaps you might even come near my level-if you keep training another twenty years.“  
-“Blablablabla, you're so lucky you're not here, otherwise I'd kick your tight little ass all over my flat!“  
-“Heh, I would love to see you try that.“  
-“Don't make me miss you more than I already do. It's my birthday and you're on the other side of the world. I'm just glad that we got a good connection tonight, your voice is so clear, it's as if you were in town.“  
-“Yes well, I assume that's because-“  
Ding-Dong  
-“Kuso, who the hell is that? Gomen, Seto, hang on.“  
Snarling, Katsuya crossed the room, threw open the door-and stood face-to-face with his husband, who smirked and purred into his cell phone:  
-“As I said, I assume that's because I'm standing right in front of your door.“  
Seto hung up and entered simultanously Jou's room and mouth, forcing the blond back into his dorm while kicking the door closed behind him.

In no time at all, the CEO had lowered his outto to the floor and was busy peeling off their clothes, even as Katsuya gasped for air.  
„Se-seto, what are you-kami, let go-no, don't stop-matte, matte, what are you doing here?“  
„Business trip, now hold still so I can have my way with you!“  
„Excuse me? It's my birthday, if anything I should be seme!“  
„You can seme all you want later, just let me first, I have been hiding this hard-on since Frankfurt.“  
Katsuya smirked, as he spread his legs invitingly.  
„Well, in that case I choose raspberry.“

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
It was also rather tricky to figure out the tone the various characters would use in their correspondence..and yes, these are love letters. You know, the things people used to write in years gone by? The thought,care and effort that goes into such a letter surpasses everything digital to date.


	7. Hitori, futari

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The title of this chapter means literally 'Alone, Together', respectively 'Single/Couple'.

59\. _Hitori, futari_

Sighing, Katsuya laid his head on the table, exhaustion making him somewhat light-headed.  
Four tests in two days, two rehearsals on the project, another dissertation due Monday and now Gokasho had accepted a challenge from the two duelists living one floor down.  
One of the challengers Katsuya even knew, it was one of those he had turned down all those years ago while the Battle City Tournament, an Australian student named Scott.  
Closing his eyes, Katsuya decided to rest a little before the duel.  
Just a couple of minutes...

„I sacrifice my Rocket Warrior in order to summon my Legendary Fisherman in defense mode. Then I place two cards face-down and end my turn.“  
He was not up to this, if Gokasho hadn't woken him up, he would have slept clear through the duel.  
The fact that his mind was still replaying the events of his birthday didn't help his strategy any.

~*“Kami, you-you're as tight as the first time I took you“ panted Seto, forcing himself into his husband.  
Clutching to the brunet's shoulder, Katsuya grit his teeth in pain and bliss, tears brimming his tightly shut eyes.  
Featherlight kisses stole the wetness from his lids, as Seto gave one last hard shove, burying himself to the hilt inside the blond.  
Then the two men just lay there, Katsuya adjusting to Seto's member and the CEO enjoying the feel of the willing, needy body underneath him.  
"I missed you so much, Katsu-chan, and I missed hearing you beg for me to make you mine" he rumbled into the blond's ear, making this one moan and squirm in lust.  
Giving a slow trust, Seto rasped:  
„Say, it, Katsuya. Say it and mean it.“  
„Oh gods, Seto-Ka-Kaiba-sama, onegai, I-kami, please, you- you're so good...“  
A shiver ran down the brunet's back, as he started pushing in and out of the pleading blond, wrapping one strong hand around this one's stiff member and jerking him off in rhythm to the thrusts.  
Harder and deeper he surged, Katsuya wailing his name in delirious ecstacy, fingernails leaving scratches all over the CEO's back and shoulders.  
Seto growled and gave a particarly nasty shove, piercing his outto's prostrate dead on.  
Katsuya choked, amber eyes flying wide open in surprise, and Seto grinned, placed the blond's long legs over his shoulders and bit down on one hardened nipple, suckling and teasing the hurting nub before turning his attention to the other one.  
Once he was sure to have successfully turned Katsuya's remaining braincells into mush, he pulled his cock all the way out of the younger man -and rammed it back in as hard as he could.  
Both screamed, Katsuya trashed wildly underneath his spouse as he roared out his pleasure and came, soaking both himself and his husband with his seed, Seto following close behind.  
Collapsing on top of the blond, the CEO gasped for air, even as Katsuya's fingers caressed his sweaty face and back, lips nibbling gently at his own and trailing kisses down his throat.  
"Oh gods..Katsuya, some-day you..re going to..kill me. Your passion-“~*

"-destroys your Little Winguard along with six-hundred of your lifepoints, Katsuya!“  
yelled Scott, jerking the blond back to reality. Blinking, he realized that he and Gokasho were about to lose the duel, if he didn't manage to turn the tables, now.  
"Looks like you're running out of monsters and lifepoints, huh?“ chuckled Scott's teammate, a dark-haired Spanish named Pueblo.  
Placing a card face down and ending his turn, nodding for Katsuya to continue, he stated:  
"It's sad, really, you used to be one of the best, Jounouchi, but now it seems, you have lost your bite, muchacho."  
Scott grinned.  
„You mean, we should have let this sleeping dog lie, huh?“  
For a second, Katsuya's eyes flashed in anger.  
What came next happened so fast, the other three students couldn't even follow:  
Calling up Harpy's Dust Feather, Katsuya swiped the field clear of his opponents' trap and magic cards, then revealed his hidden cards, Baby Dragon and Devil's Cube and switched his Legendary Fisher to attack mode.  
Using the dice card, Katsuya then managed to lower the only opposing monster's attack points down to a measly 800 points, his Baby Dragon making short process of it, as well as of the remaining 380 lifepoints of Scott.  
And his Legendary Fisher destroyed Pueblo's 1150 lifepoints this one still had his to call.  
Baffled, the two duelists stared at the smirking Katsuya and whooping Gokasho.  
"Que-que pasa? What went down here?" asked the Spanish.  
"You did, my dears. Gentlemen, you have just officialy joined the ranks of the defeated", stated Katsuya smug.  
White teeth were bared in a sharky, triumphant grin.  
"For another time, let sleeping dragons lie, ne?"

It was far worse than he could have ever imagined.  
Obviously the rumor of their duel had spread all over campus, and now every single student who could tell the difference between a Kuriboh and a Scape Goat was storming his room, asking for him to help them build their decks, strategies when facing certain theme-oriented decks, challenging him or simply wanting an autograph.  
After one particulary nasty run-in with his fans(as they were), the blond grabbed Gokasho by the collar and snarled:  
"Once we get back home, remind me to thank you appropriately for listening to you and joining the local DuelMonsters club, ne?“  
Hiroyuki sweatdropped and, giving a sheepish grin, muttered:  
„Ano, relax, Katsuya, it's only another six weeks, ne?“  
The blond merely dropped his head and whined.

It was quite rare that Kaiba was not capable of following a discussion.  
But at the speed his husband talked and the entirely foreign matter of the topic he had a hard time even understanding half of the words, leave alone grasp their meaning.  
"-reactive transients, such as solvated electrons, radical ions and other ion types, electronically excited states, all kinds of radicals and so on by means of pulse radiolysis and laser flash photolysis as complementary techniques-“  
>-“Katsuya.“  
>-“Hai?“  
-“Two things. First: breath. Second. I have not the slightest inkling what on earth you are talking about.“  
>-“Ho. Gomen,“ the blond chuckled, „I thought I told you that I joined the project on studying Time-Resolved Spectroscopy.“  
Katsuya swore that, despite the distance, he could hear the CEO's jaw hitting the desk.

Seven days can pass in a blur, when one is being faced with exams.  
On the other hand, seven days can seem like seven years, when you're waiting to see your beloved one again.  
Both Gokasho and Katsuya were so nervous with anticipation, that they would have probably flunked their finals, if not two certain brunets would have called every single night and advised them to not let them down.  
Encouraged by this, the two friends managed to pass with little trouble and Gokasho even won the prize for best dissertation of the semester, Jounouchi a close second.  
And then came the day, they finally returned home.

For a CEO, Kaiba could be pretty rude at times.  
Before Katsuya had a chance to open his mouth to say hello, he already found it evaded by an all too familiar tongue, and Gokasho was no better off, as his tsuma+ first squeezed him to pieces and then lifted him in the air and whirled him around in glee.  
Finally breaking up their kiss with an audible pop, Seto tenderly stroked the blond's jawbone, rasping:  
"Tell me everything you know, Katsu-chan. Tell me."  
A sigh of pure exasperation escaped the aforementioned.  
"Seto, onegai, I just spent the last eighteen hours in a plane and on three different airports. I'm completely jetlag, just, let me catch some sleep, ok?“  
Blue eyes glinted with excitement.  
"Then let me put you to bed, aibou", purred the CEO.  
Giving his husband a wary look, Katsuya mumbled:  
"I'd rather the couch, thank you very much.”

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Ok, apologies for the abbhorent slaughter of the dueling rules; as you might have noticed, I couldn't duel my way out of a paper bag. Thus said, everything about Time-Resolved Spectroscopy I reffered to in this chapter is courtesy of the University of Leipzig. For more info go here:  
http://research.uni-leipzig.de/mop/reports/rep2005.pdf  
Yup, little wonder Kaiba is so turned on.

+tsuma: wife


	8. Delphiniums, irises, rhododendrons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sweet surprises and random plot points, oh my..!

60. _Delphiniums, irises, rhododendrons_  
   
Spring came in brilliant, soothing colors, but Katsuya couldn't really enjoy it.  
Between college, work and entertaining a certain horny CEO, the blond was a little too busy to keep track with life in general, and his family and friends in particular.  
And then came early June.  
   
„Have you ever heard of safer sex?!?“  
Mokuba snorted and coughed up some cracker crumbs, and Seto choked on his tea, even as Shizuka and Honda turned a brilliant shade of red.  
Clearing his throat, the CEO tried to ease the tension:  
„Easy there, aibou, remember your sister's delicate state.“  
Katsuya snarled, as he turned to his husband.  
„That's the only thing occupying my mind at the moment! Just because my best friend didn't bother to change the rubber every so often, Shizuka's pregnant!“  
Both Kaiba brothers cringed, even as Honda's expression changed from sheepish to enraged.  
Rising from where he sat next to his koi, he stalked over to the blond and growled:  
„Although I don't know why I should tell you this, but I did change the condom, twice even! And yes, they were prime quality, in case you're wondering! That doesn't change the fact that I love Shizuka with all my heart, and that I'm more than willed to make her my wife, with or without your blessings!“  
Silence, as amber and chestnut warred with one another.  
Finally, without taking his eyes off his friend, Katsuya replied:  
„It is not my decision to make, but hers.“  
Nobody moved, Honda and Katsuya kept glaring at one another, and then:  
„I -I said yes.“  
The blond turned to stare at his imoto.  
„Mo..itte kudasai?“  
Shizuka blushed the cutest shade ever, as she gave a soft smile and hushed:  
„Honda-kun proposed to me last but one week, four days before I found out I was..expecting. And I said yes.“  
She rose her head and beamed up at her elder sibling.  
„Isn't that wonderful, nii-san? You're going to be an uncle soon.“  
The blond considered this a moment, then his face lit up.  
„Hey, you're right, I'm going to be an uncle! That's just great!“  
He smiled down at his imoto, then his face drooped:  
„Oh gods, my baby sister is going to have a baby!“ he wailed, and Seto cocked a brow.  
„I thought only pregnant women were supposed to have mood swings, ne?“  
„Hey, how would you feel if you found out you were about to become an uncle?“  
exclaimed Katsuya, torn between happiness and worry.  
His husband crossed his arms before his chest and smirked.  
„Not very likely, aibou. I don't think you are planning to grace me with any nieces or nephews anytime soon, ne, Mokuba?“  
All gawked at the grinning brunet, and all of a sudden, Katsuya's heart skipped a beat:  
For a second, he swore, his husband just -vanished. He could see the couch, the table before it, the carpet underneath both furnitures, but no Seto.  
Drawing a shaky breath, the blond clenched his eyes and opened them again, just to see Seto in the same position as before.  
And then he noticed Mokuba's shocked expression.  
The teen shut his mouth closed and rasped:  
„O-of course not -would you sleep better if I swore celibacy until I'm thirty-two, nii-san?“  
Those words broke the eerie atmosphere reigning the flat, and everybody laughed.  
Katsuya however, couldnt shake the slight, nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.  
 

It had been a while since she had felt this enraged, but considering the cirumstances, she kept a good reign on her feelings.  
Glaring at the attorney on the opposite of her desk, Fukuda-san hissed:  
„I am not accepting this case, no matter what. The last time it caused me one hell of a lot of trouble and almost destroyed a young man's life. Besides, I fail to see why one should even bother re-integrating this particular individual into society.“  
Shrugging, the lawyer replied:  
„Apparently, while the..trial, several evidences had been left out of regard which could have proofen my client's innocence.“  
„Innocence?“ screeched the younger woman in mock-amused disbelief.  
„Pardon for having to tell you, Tsukuba-san, but your client and innocence don't mix!“  
Sighing, the man rose from his chair and, straightening his expensive suit, stated:  
„Yes, well, we will see about that, Have a nice day, Fukuda-san.“  
„Sayonara.“  
 

For good luck it had been raining the past two days, bringing down the unbearable heat to agreeable temperatures.  
Even though, it was rather hot for mid July, and the crowd in the dim-lit temple was glad about the shadowy location of the building beneath the large maple trees, which kept off the glaring sun.  
Honda held himself pretty well, thought Katsuya, considering how nervous the brunet was.  
So far his best friend had only thrown up twice, and his suit had made it unspoiled so far.  
Rubbing Honda's shoulders reassuringly, Katsuya hushed:  
„Easy, man, relax, you're not going to faint on me now, ne?“  
Shakily, Honda rose to his full height and readjusted his clothes, as they made their way to the altar.  
„Of course not, what kind of impression would that make? Besides, if you could pull this through, so can I!“  
„That's the spirit! “smiled Katsuya, as he steered the two of them to their supposed positions.  
„Now hold your breath, 'cause here she comes!“  
„Kami-sama, she's beautiful!“ rasped Honda, and his best friend nodded.  
„Of course, she's my sister!“  
   
The white, green-embroidered wedding kimono only helped to accent Shizuka's flower-like delicacy, when she floated towards her brother and groom like a water-lily on the surface of a calm lake, poised and elegant as an orchid.  
Faced with her pre-natal beauty(though she wasn't showing yet, seeing as she was only two months pregnant), Honda felt himself like a bag of mouldering rags, although he looked rather impressive in his deep purple kimono with the golden obi.  
His best friend and brother-in-law had risen heaven and hell to get their wedding arranged as fast and decent as humanly possible, making his husband frown when faced with the large amount of money the blond spent on the event.  
Obviously, when it came to weddings, Jou was similarily possessed to aim for perfection as his sister, and the siblings had left their families and friends little to no say in the whole preparation process.  
Then again, seeing how smoothly the ceremony had run so far(Shizuka had insisted on a strictly traditional wedding, and rehearsed every single move and pose with her fiancé dozens of times over), it had probably been for the best.  
Besides, Seto mused, knowing the effect the festivity had on Katsuya, this would surely make for an exiting event..  
Seto shivered in delight and anticipation.  
Forcing his eyes from the blond, he let his azure eyes travel over the assembled guests:  
The entire Honda clan had come, including a couple of cousins and aunts even Hiroto couldn't remember.  
On Shizuka's side sat, next to him and the somewhat blue Mokuba(Reiko had broken up with him three weeks ago) the Muutous, Ryou and his boyfriend Logan, the Hiroyuki's and- Kawai-san.  
Her presence was a surprise for everybody; although she had been invited, no one had expected her to come.  
Katsuya had almost turned her down at the door, if not Shizuka had spoken up for their mother.  
Now she sat in the last but one row, tears streaming down her face as she saw her little girl being given to her husband by her son.  
She was puzzled, when she realized that her heart swelled with pride when she took in her eldest offspring's manners and appearance, and suddenly, she regretted not having been there when Katsuya got married.  
Kawai-san's eyes drifted from her son -and locked with cold, blue ones.  
Hastily, she looked away, shame leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.  
Kaiba had all the reason in the world to, if not hate, dislike her.  
And she had no one to blame but herself.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Ok, seriously, what's with me and all the weddings? Anyways, now at least almost all major and minor characters are acounted for.


	9. Last tango in Paris

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back with another song, and once more _Eurythmics_ grace us with one of their greatest hits; _(There must be an angel)Playing with my heart_. If you haven't seen the original video, go ceck it out. Even for the mid-Eighties it is..something else.  
> Also, this will be the last upload for a while; Real Life returned with a vengeance.

61. _Last tango in Paris_

 _No-one on earth could feel like this_  
 _I'm thrown and overblown with bliss_  
 _There must be an angel_  
 _Playing with my heart_  
 _I walk into an empty room_  
 _And suddenly my heart goes "boom"!_  
 _It's an orchestra of angels_  
 _And they're playing with my heart_  
   
„Kaiba Seto, you are one crazy man.“  
The brunet cocked a questioning brow.  
„Renting out the entire top floor of the Tour Montparnasse just for a tango?“  
Nuzzling the blond's neck, Seto mumbled:  
„It's the least I can do, seeing how we were too busy to properly celebrate our one-year anniversary, koi.“  
Katsuya was overwhelmed with joy.  
In all honesty, Paris by sunset was almost more beautiful than Venice by night.  
Especially when dancing to the soft, rythimc tune of Bolero, the full moon and few dim stars hanging in the still red-and-orange sky their only illumination, aside of the tri-colored spotlight originating from the Eiffel Tower.  
   
 _(Must be talking to an angel)_  
 _(Must be talking to an angel)_  
 _(Must be talking to an angel)_

What had started as a business trip and European promotion tour had turned into a full-fledged prolonged honeymoon.  
After arriving in Moskau with the Oriental Express, the couple had moved on to Finnland, Sweden and Norway, where they had spent their nights making passionate love beneath the midnight sun and aurora borealis.  
London didn't hold much for the two men aside of the museums, since they both shared a great dislike for musicals and found the food to be generally inedible.  
Next stop Denmark to see the Tivoli and Little Mermaid before hopping from Amsterdam, Den Haag, Brussels and Munich over to Budapest.  
From Vienna's Prater to the Jungfraujoch in the Bernese Alps, the couple traveled southwards through Italy and Greece to see the Acropolis.  
The more superstitious tourists fled the ruins in panic, when they heard the roar of the Nemeian Lion echo from the acient pilars.  
Considering his husband was busy pumping his seed into him, the young corporate president had every reason to scream.  
Heading westwards they passed Rome, Nice, Barcelona and Madrid on their way to Lissabon and finally made it, over Marseille and Lyon, to the capitol of France.

 _No-one on earth could feel like this_  
 _I'm thrown and overblown with bliss_  
 _There must be an angel_  
 _Playing with my heart_  
 _And when I think that I'm alone_  
 _It seems there's more of us at home_  
 _It's a multitude of angels_  
 _And they're playing with my heart_  
   
~*Seto found to his surprise, that Katsuya had a knack for European masters.  
He was first to enter the Louvre when it opened in the morning, and spent the entire day between Van Dyck, the Mona Lisa, Dürrer, Roualt and Botticelli.  
In the London National Gallery Seto had to restrain him by force not to grab hold of the Rubens' and leave kisses all over them, at the Picasso Museum Katsuya could barely form any coherent words when asking the CEO to buy him 'Guernica'.  
The situation escalated in Florence, when they visited the Sixtinian Chapel and Katsuya, after gawking in silent awe at Michelangelo's masterpiece, turned starry-eyed to his outto and practically begged him to chain him to the wall and leave him there. That's when Seto's restrain decided to go on vacation as well.  
It was good they were the only visitors at the time, the actions following that request were cleary not suited those sacred halls.  
On the other hand, Seto did hear angels sing by the time the blond had finished sucking him off.~*  
   
 _(Must be talking to an angel)_  
 _(Must be talking to an angel)_  
 _(Must be talking to an angel)_  
   
Katsuya was sprawled on the large dining table, Seto leaving bite marks and hickeys all over his body.  
Their clothes lay scattered throughout the salon due to the fact that they had shed them off while dancing, which had been an almost sexual act in itself.  
Licking and suckling his groom's testicles, Seto coated his fingers with some of the caramel sauce which had been left over from their opulent meal, and drove one digit into Katsuya's opening.  
In no time at all he had the blond prepared and willing, and slowly, teasingly inched bit by bit of his hard cock into the slick, wet tunnel.  
Golden eyes, clouded by lust and need, locked onto his sapphire ones.  
„Seto?“  
„Nhh?“  
Katsuya smiled, softly, tenderly, voice hoarse and thick with emotion.  
„Je t'aime, mon joli petit dragon.“+  
The brunet gaped, then grinned and, brushing his lips across Katsuya's, choked :  
„Tu m'as donné tous les raisons pour t'enculer comme un chien, mon chér filou.“*  
With that, the CEO flipped his outto on his belly and attempted to screw the living daylights out of the blond.  
Over and over again, Seto pistoned in and out of the tight ass, making Katsuya see stars each time his prostrate was pierced, and then the brunet released inside him with a short grunt.  
Caramel and semen, gold and white, slowly trickled down Katsuya's legs, Seto panting and gasping on top of him.  
„Not enough, that-was..not enough..“ he growled minutes later, pulled out of his outto and, leading them to a chair near the large panorama windows, advised him to turn around.  
Sitting down, the brunet fisted his cock and made Katsuya take up the re-hardening length, an order the student happily followed suit.  
Almost bruising the narrow hips with his tight grip, Seto then pushed the blond up and down on his shaft, eyes focused on the precum dribbling out of the tiny slit at the top of this one's large member.  
„Matte, matte, Seto, wait...“ pleaded Katsuya and, to the brunet's chagrin, dislocated himself from this one's hold.  
His disapproval was soon replaced by surprise, when Katsuya pushed the seat, CEO et all, to the window panel overlooking the Seine, so that the brunet's head rested against the glass.  
Placing his hands to each side of Seto's face, Katsuya then straddled him-and impaled himself in one single, hard, almost brutal shove on his husband's cock.  
Twin screams ricocheted from the walls, but before Seto could catch his breath, the blond had already started pumping up and down, using his arms and strong legs for leverage.  
Amazed, Seto watched Katsuya literally fucking himself to oblivion, the spotlight dancing through the now dark hall cast shades of blue, white and red over the blond's lean, slithe figure, accenting each work-hardened muscle and defining every single sinew.  
Sweat coated the body above him, Katsuya panted, growled, hissed, moaned, cursed and grunted, forcing himself to go faster, harder, wanting more and giving all.  
And then he threw his head back and shouted Seto's name, his cum splattering over the CEO's face, chest and abdomen, before fisting the silky brown strands and swallowing Seto's yell with his mouth, as this one felt Katsuya's rectum suddenly clench around his dick and milking him for all it was worth.  
No more words were exchanged; below the exhausted couple Paris went to rest, once again  
having given proof to its claim as 'City of Lovers'.  
   
 _I must be hallucinating_  
 _Watching angels celebrating_  
 _Could this be reactivating_  
 _All my senses dislocating?_  
 _This must be a strange deception_  
 _By celestial intervention_  
 _Leavin' me the recollection_  
 _Of your heavenly connection_  
   
Letting his eyes roam over the vicinity, he finally made out the one he was looking for.  
Sauntering closer, he sat down and, opening the novel and picking up where he had left, asked:  
„So, how far are they?“  
The bulky man next to him shrugged.  
„Working on it.“  
Readjusting his glasses, the other one replied:  
„Good. Just remember-“  
„Keep a low profile“, they chorused.  
   
 _No-one on earth could feel like this_  
 _I'm thrown and overblown with bliss_  
 _There must be an angel_  
 _Playing with my heart_  
 _I walk into an empty room_  
 _And suddenly my heart goes "boom"!_  
 _It's an orchestra of angels_  
 _And they're playing with my heart_

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Yes, it is actually possible to rent out the top floor of the Tour Montparnasse. Nedless to say, the view is almost as spectacular as from the Eiffel Tower, only less windy. For all those not francophon, here's the translation to the dialgougie between Katsuya and Seto:

 

+ "Je t'aime, mon joli petit dragon." I love you, my sweet little dragon.  
*"Tu m'as donné tous les raisons pour t'enculer comme un chien, mon chér filou." You ave given me every reason to fuck you like a dog, my dear husband.

Yes, I am aware that Seto's breaking the rules by calling his husband a dog, but I guess, we can let it slip for once, ne?


	10. Buttered Rum and bloodied thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hint of domestic life, before things get moodier, as the ghost of the past make a reappearance...much to Katsuya's dismay and horror.

62\. Buttered Rum and bloodied thoughts  
   
Soft, baby-blue eyes blinked repeatedly, before their owner decided to lift his gold-rimmed glasses and remove the annoying lash.  
Once the hair had been removed, he readjusted his seeing aid and asked:  
„Well?“  
„The bait has been laid.“  
For a second, there was a cold, hard spark in the otherwise gentle orbs, but it faded as fast as it had come.  
„Excellent. Now all we have to do is lean back and wait.“  
   
Mokuba was, though technologically not as versatile as Seto, business-wise more than a match for his elder brother.  
His latest coup during the CEO's absence had been to steal away Atsumi Enterprises' entire creative team(including Jou) and bring Meisei under Kaiba Corp's headmastership in one fell swoop.  
With a confidence almost akin to instinct, the ebon-tressed teen managed to steer the company past even the most hazardous financial turmoils, earning himself not only the entire council's respect, but actually a kiss on the forehead from his nii-san, when this one returned from his travel and heard the good news.  
From that day on, Mokuba made sure to have Katsuya tell Seto about his newest accomplishments...  
 

It was a rare thing to happen, but every so often, it did:  
With enough force to rattle the hinges, the door to the master bedroom was slammed closed, the low thunder rumbling through the entire house.  
All through the mansion, employees peeked out of the various rooms, wondering which one of the two young men might possibly be throwing a tantrum.  
   
He found him in the gym, hitting the punching bag with a force and accuracy that was less impressive than scary.  
One look at his husband's face told him to wait until this one had vented his anger.  
Finally, this one gave the bag one last, devastating left hook, then dropped his fists.  
Crossing his arms, the other man queried timidly:  
„Care to tell me what has you so set up, Katsuya?“  
Unwantingly, Seto flinched when the blond merely turned his head and stared him down with orbs that were almost black with rage.  
Breaking eye contact, Katsuya snarled:  
„I got a letter from Fukuda-san today.“  
Seto furrowed his brow in confusion, before his brain made the needed connection.  
„Hai?“  
Katsuya drew a deep breath and muttered:  
„Obviously somebody pulled a couple of strings and now they want to reopen my father's case and try to get him free for lack of proof and withholding of vital evidence classifying him as overwrought, alcoholic, but loving _father._ “  
„What?!?“ roared the brunet, not believing his ears.  
 _Loving_ father? He clearly remembered the twelve stitches adorning Katsuya's bruised abdomen as well as the burnmarks and cuts all over this one's arms and neck.  
Had he not himself gotten the tweazers to remove a remaining glass shard the doctors had missed from the blond's right wrist?  
And now someone was crazy enough to try to bail this..monster out?  
Before Seto could utter his protest, Katsuya added:  
„The worst thing is, they got an ace card up their sleeve and are going to use it to convince the jury that I was the one who started the fight and that otou-san was merely defending himself.“  
Azure flashed in anger.  
„Who the hell would believe such humbug? What kind of facts do they have to make such a claim?“  
Katsuya closed his eyes and, resting his head against the punching bag, rasped in a broken voice:  
„My criminal record.“  
 

They all came to the hearing: Honda, Katsuya, Seto, Fukuda-san, the med team who had retrieved and saved the blond, various teachers, ex-employers and- several of his former gang members.  
And then his father entered the room, taking wobbly steps and slumping his broad shoulders.  
Katsuya wasn't fooled by neither the ashen complexion, sunken-in eyes and hollow cheeks nor the heart-broken look on the elder Jounouchi's face.  
His father had always been good at gaining people's pity, and this time was no exceptance.  
   
One by one, the witnesses made their statements, revealing things of both the Jounouchi's pasts this ones would have rather left buried and forgotten.  
Naturally, the jury gasped in shock and disgust when they learned about Katsuya's street name and life.  
Forgery, burglary, vandalism, rape, drug dealing, underage drinking, speeding, driving without license, multiple points of felonious assault...the list was almost endless.  
His father's was almost identical; in addition to child abuse, attempted armed robbery and resisting arrest, illegal owning of a handfire weapon and car thefth, Jounouchi-san had obviously also been embezzling money for his former employer, a certain bank director who had comitted suicide after being found out.  
This had been the event which had brought an abrupt end to the elder Jounouchi's career and torn the family apart, seeing as his wife had not been willed to spend her life with a man who was both dishonored and unemployed.  
It was not an easy decision, neither for the jury nor the judge, it took them nigh on eight hours to weigh out the facts and compare statements, and every single minute was pure torture for the blond.  
Finally, the sentence was declared: Jounouchi-san senior was not to be set free, but his imprisonment was cut down to twelve years, including those he had already spent in jail. Plus, he had to pay for the entire court costs, along with a fine of eight-hundred thousand Yen.  
Katsuya didn't feel any relief, only bitterness and hatred.  
He had not been able to look his father in the eye, not because he was afraid of what he might see there, but because he hadn't trusted himself enough not to loose his inhibitions and beat the elder man into a bloody pulp.  
   
„Aibou?“  
His husband didn't answer, only lay there, gazing unseeing at the ceiling above them.  
„Katsuya?“ whispered Seto quietly, and this time his voice cut through the other man's thoughts.  
Closing his eyes, the blond croaked:  
„I wish he would die. I have never wished for someone else's death in my life, but I wish he would drop dead.“  
Tears trickled down his cheeks, and Katsuya cried, silently, soundlessly, even as Seto pulled him close and held him in a tight embrace until the sun rose in the east.  
   
„Well?“  
Katsuya sweatdropped, trying very hard not to vomit at the sight.  
The room was the very definition of cute:  
White walls were adorned with green and purple flowers and speckled with bees and butterflies. In one corner, next to the door, the crib stood on wheels, allowing it to be gently pushed back and forth, giving the tiny bed a gentle, rocking motion.  
Looking down, one found the light-brown floor freckled with images of tiny vehicles and several throw-rugs matching the white, purple-rimmed curtains with the sunflower print.  
A beautiful sky was painted on the ceiling, displaying the various shades of sunrise over the warm blue of a summer's day to the darkness of a starry winter night.  
And- plush DuelMonsters.  
There were so many of them, Katsuya had the impression a pet zoo had gone loose in the small chamber, and for a moment, he felt the necks on his hair standing up straight, when he noticed a particularly sweet-looking Chimera staring straight at him with glassy eyes.  
He gulped and, clenching his teeth, muttered:  
„Nice. You..did this all yourself?“  
„Hai,“ chirped Shizuka, the first traces of her pregnancy visible on her face and underneath her loose-fitting sweatshirt.  
„Since both Hiro-chan and I agreed we want the child's gender to remain a surprise until it is born, we designed the room so that it would fit either a boy or girl. I bet giri no ani would like it too, ne?“  
Katsuya sweatdropped, knowing for sure that Seto would have ran screaming, when faced with the abominable BEWD Toon plushie...

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
I'm with Seto on this one; the BEWD Toon card just needs to be buried..preferably at the bottom of Mount Kilauea


	11. Conquests and complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Family matters, plain and simple; sometimes odd, sometimes confusing, but always worth the effort.   
> ~* are past happenings

63. _Conquests and complications_  
   
He was just stepping out of the shower, when his cell rang.  
Growling, he hastily dried himself off as he stalked over to the nightstand and checked the caller's ID.  
Cocking a brow, he pressed the reciever button and barked:  
„Kaiba.“  
„Oh, uh, gomen, Seto, I didn't- did I catch you at a bad time? If I did, I'm sorry, but- is Katsuya there yet?“   
came Honda's somewhat flustered question, and the CEO tilted his brow anew.  
Was that fear in Hiroto's voice?  
„No, he will be arriving shortly with the Shinkansen from Toyohashi -why, did something happen? Is Shizuka alright?“  
„Oh, she's alright already, at least she was when I left ten minutes ago -listen, the reason I'm calling is -would you mind if I crashed at your place tonight?“  
   
Huddled on the sofa in the library, Honda stared into his tea, as if he could find life's answers at the bottom of his cup.  
Opposite of him, sprawled in the lovers chair and balancing Seto on his lap, sat his giri no ani, expression anything but happy.  
„Now, you gonna spill or do I have to ring it out of you? Why did Shizuka throw you out?“  
Honda sighed and drove one hand over his face.  
„She didn't. I left her.“  
„NANI?!?“  
   
~*Burying his nose in his tsuma's* endless amber hair, Honda inhaled the sweet smell of Shizuka's freshly washed mane, letting his hands roam over the enlarged breasts and slightly protruding belly.  
„Kami, you're so beautiful, 'Zuka-chan“ he mumbled into her ear, as he tried to pull her sweater up.  
Shifting uncomfortably, the young woman freed herself from his hold and mumbled:  
„No, I'm not. I'm fat and ugly.“  
Hiroto blinked a few times in disbelief, then smiled softly.  
Caressing the brunette's left cheek, he declared:  
„That's not true and you know it. Shizuka, you are breathtaking. And as for the weight,“   
he pulled her closer, pressing his erection against her ass,  
„that's just the baby growing inside of you. And that means, it's going to be strong and healthy, and that you're doing an excellent job at becoming a mother.“  
Green-brown eyes gazed questioningly at him.  
„Do you really think so?“  
The brunet nodded, chestnut orbs glinting with love and need.  
„Hai. And it turns me on extremely, knowing you're taking such good care of our child.“  
Kissing her deeply, Hiroto wrapped his arms carefully around Shizuka and lifted her up, so she could sling her legs around his waist.  
Nuzzling and licking her neck, he then carried her over to their bedroom, where he placed her gently on the soft comforter and started to slowly, carefully remove layer after layer of their clothes.  
He paused, when he arrived at her panties, drinking in the sight before him; her plump breasts, the rounded belly and warm glow of her skin, and growled low in the back of his throat, trying to give voice to his lust.  
„Gods, Shizuka, I want you so much.. I need you, koi...“  
Blindly reaching for the nightstand, he snatched the tube resting on the wooden surface and pressed some of the cream onto his left hand.   
After replacing the cap and setting the container aside, he then spread the lotion between his palms and attempted to apply it to Shizuka's stomach.  
„What are you doing?“ asked his spouse cooly.  
Pausing in his actions, Honda replied:  
„I'm just rubbing some cream on our stomach, so you won't get any stretch marks. The doctor said, the earlier-“  
„You see? You see? I'm fat! If I weren't, I wouldn't have any stretch marks in the first place, and then the doctor wouldn't have to give you that lotion! Oh gods, I knew it, I knew it!“ exclaimed Shizuka, has she wrapped the blankets around her body, hiding it from Hiroto's sight.  
Who stared at her, uncomprehendingly, then reached out for her.  
„'Zuka..koi, come on, try to calm down, onegai? I'm here for you, I love you no matter what-“  
„Don't touch me!“ screeched the aforementioned, tossing the blankets aside and glaring at him.  
„You don't love me, you just want to bed me because you feel responsible for what you've done to me and now try to make me feel good.“  
Her husband's jaw fell at the accusation.  
Completely flabberghasted, he managed:  
„Bu-but of course I want to make you feel good, that's why I married you in the first place. So I can always keep you warm and save and happy, as well as the baby-“  
„'The baby'? Before it was our child, now it's only 'the baby'? That's just so typical for you guys!“  
Somewhat at a loss for words, Hiroto reached out with one cream-coated hand, only to have it slapped away by his tsuma, who glared at him and hissed:  
„Don't you dare touch me, you horny bastard! Get out!“  
Ok, that was new, and the brunet could merely sputter:  
„Mo-mo itte?“  
„You heard me, now leave!“  
„But-“  
„Leave!“~*  
   
Katsuya gave his best friend a level gaze.  
„And you're sure you're talking about my sister, ne?“  
Honda sighed.  
„Your sister, my wife and the mother of our unborn child. Yes, I am talking about Shizuka. So, you let me stay for the night or what?“  
Absent-mindedly rubbing his chin against Seto's chiseled pecs, making this one purr in approval, the blond thought about it a moment, then shook his head.  
„No.“  
His best friend stared at him in disappointment, and his spouse seemed equally confused.  
„No?“  
Katsuya shook his head and, gently nudging Seto to rise, who complied grudgingly, stood from the chair.  
„No. We are going to deal with this problem right away. No more delays.“  
   
Luckily for him, his sister had a bad aim, otherwise the baby rattle would have connected rather painfully with his face.  
Placing the toy on the table before him, Katsuya sighed.  
„Now that you vented some of your anger, care to tell me why you threw Honda out?“  
Shizuka sniffed, then mumbled:  
„He doesn't love me, he's just toying with me.“  
Her brother frowned.  
„That's not true, Shizuka. Hiroto is drop-dead serious about you, he loved you from day one and protected you any chance he got. Do you think I would have agreed to you marrying him, if I had had the slightest doubt about his sincerity?“  
Clasping her small hand into his, he asked softly:  
„What's really going on, imoto? Why are you so upset? It's not Honda, isn't it.“  
The young woman stared down at the table, then slowly, one by one, tears pooled out of her eyes, as she sobbed:  
„No, it's not, it's just that-that the folks over at college always make fun of me, because I got pregnant, and-and they think-they think I had to marry Hiroto because of that, and that he doesn't really love me...“  
She was crying now, almost hysterically, as she wrapped her arms around her bother and weeped.  
„Oh kami, nii-san, I'm so sorry, I-I didn't mean to scare Hiro-chan, I was just so upset, and I didn't know how to tell him -I'm so sorry, gomen, nii-san, gomen, gomen...“  
„It's ok, it's ok, Shizuka, nobody's accusing you of anything. It wasn't your fault, nor was it Hiroto's, and he would have married you anyway, pregnant or not.“  
Shizuka nodded, wiping her face and searching for a tissue to blow her nose.  
Once she had regained some of her composure, she looked down at the floor, shame written over her face.  
„Do you..do you think, Hiro-chan will ever forgive me?“  
Standing up and stretching languidly, Katsuya shrugged.  
„Ja, I don't know, I mean, you really scared him back there, you know?“  
Grinning, he sauntered towards the entry.  
„Although I have a feeling, he has already forgiven you“ he concluded, opening the door to reveal a timid looking Honda carrying a bundle of roses and sporting a soft, questioning smile.  
In a flash, Shizuka had thrown herself at him, crying and laughing all the same, as she rained kisses all over his face.  
None of them heard the door click closed behind the blond.  
   
„Get naked, now!“  
Scowling, the CEO tore his sight from the report he was reading and gave his outto a stern look.  
„Now really, whatever happened to common manners, Katsuya? I understand that your visit at your sisters was somewhat-“  
Amber eyes bore into his blue ones, as the file was snatched and tossed aside, and a low rumble tickled his ear.  
„Get naked, you know what happens when I have to wait, ne?“  
Tilting a chestnut brow, Seto replied:   
„Tomorrow is Sunday, and I'm not planning to go to work, so I will not be forced to sit any longer than I wish to, if you are reffering to that.“  
Katsuya merely grinned, as he rid himself of his own clothes and, flipping the brunet over, snarled:  
„Babe, when I'm done with you, you won't even be able to _crawl_ your way out of bed!“  
   
Seto got a both bliss-and painful reminder, that Jounouchi Katsuya was always true to his word...

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Katsuya really needs to work on his libido. Then again, if you're married to Japan's sexiest CEO...


	12. Honesty is for those who love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is no love or friendship, where money is concerned, someone once told me. Particularly when said money is being made by a young genius CEO with a slightly out-of-proportion ego.

 64. _Honesty is for those who love_  
   
It began with a fight.  
Well, actually with a disagreement.  
Seto had planned to take over an insurance agency by the name of Guntai*, not because he was interested in it per se, but because he had set his eyes on one of their daughter companies, Doutoku#, a tiny little business specializing in built-to-fit hardware and state-of the-art holographic technology.  
Just the thing Seto needed for his new, advanced VR-Chamber he had perfected and waited for so long to release.  
Mokuba, being vice-president, advised his brother to try to buy Doutoku off, since the mother company's financial situtation was hazardous at best, but the elder Kaiba wouldn't listen.  
Why pick out a single prey, if he could get the whole package for but a little more?  
   
Katsuya shook his head.  
„Listen Seto, I know I'm just an assisting technical consultant and have no say when it comes to take-overs, but- I don't think it's wise to buy up the entire combo, I mean, most of those companies -if you can call them that- are so broke, its only a matter of days before they go bankrupt. Why invest in something that will only cost you money and won't bring you anything but trouble?“  
The CEO shook his head.  
„Both you and Mokuba pointed out the financial part of this deal, and though I agree with you on that particular matter, the two of you lack the needed experience to see past the numbers on the check. It's not their capital-or lack thereoff-I'm after, but their connections.“  
Azure eyes trained on the blond.  
„And, believe me or not, when it comes to business, connections are everything.“  
His husband scowled.  
„Yeah, that may be, but still-“  
„Katsuya, I know you and Mokuba mean well, but I have been in this business twice as long as the two of you put together. Besides, as you already so correctly pointed out, you are merely a technical counselor. When it comes to the financial aspects, your opinion is both unnecessary and, though welcome, meaningless. Your job is to make sure that Doutoku has the needed requierements and capacities to realize my project.“  
Inhaling sharply, the blond narrowed his eyes.  
„Don't you dare use that tone with me, Seto. I am not your paperboy, but your husband, and-“  
„And you're my second Project Leader-in-Chief; I am your boss and the god-forsaken president of this company, so don't make me repeat myself!“  
roared Seto, as he shot up from his chair and glared at Katsuya.  
Minutes passed, in which their only dialogue consisted of their heated stares, then the blond squared his shoulders and replied coldy:  
„Hai, Kaiba-san.“  
It was a tone the CEO had never heard his spouse use before, and for a moment, he was too shocked to even move.  
Warily, he pushed back his seat, rounded it, brushed some imaginary dust from the headrest  
and stacked some files which lay on the desk together, all the time shooting Katsuya nervous glances.  
Who didn't budge, but kept giving him that same, angry look.  
Finally Seto couldn't bear the silence any longer and conceded:  
„Tell you what, you have until the actuall signing to bring me proof that fusing with Guntai is-risky. If you can't convince me otherwise, the contract will be signed, nevermind your or Mokuba's hesitation, wakarimashita?“  
„Perfectly.“  
Jou turned to the door, but halfways there the brunet's voice stopped him.  
„By the way, the meeting will be in twelve days.“  
Whirling around, Katsuya gaped at his outto.  
„Twe-twelve days? Seto, that's not enough-“  
Azure, cool and indifferent, locked with incredulous gold.  
„Twelve days. Use them wisely, Katsuya.“  
   
He watched him from where he lay on their bed, then queried:  
„And what do you think you're doing?“  
Katsuya merely shot him a dark look and continued stuffing clothes into his duffle bag. Seto huffed.  
„Are you still upset with me? I know, I was a tad bit harsh, but-“  
„Tomorrow is Sunday, and in case you happened to forget, I'm a student as well as your employee. Which means I have to be back on campus by Monday morning.“  
Buttoning up his shirt, he added:  
„Don't bother bringing me to the station, I know the way by heart. And no, I won't be home next weekend either, since I will be too busy working on your project.“  
Giving a mute groan, the brunet tilted his head beack.  
„Koi, if you would like to discuss this out-“  
Katsuya merely snorted.  
„No, don't bother, you have made your point rather clear. Now if you'll excuse me, my train is leaving within the hour.“  
The faint click of the door closing behind the blond made the brunet feel strangely forlorn.  
   
„-therefore I am afraid I must decline this offer. Regarding their financial background, Guntai Enterprises is, pardon my french, the savest way to bancrupcy. I am certain, the council will understand that in this particular case I do not agree with my brother, but would rather advise the comitee to reconsider their decision.“  
Kaiba nodded, gritting his teeth secretly, and replied:  
„Thank you for your opinion, Mokuba. Though your disagreement saddens me, I must accept your decision. Now, as my brother already pointed out...“  
Focusing on the details, Seto couldn't help but feel betrayed.  
He knew that Mokuba didn't like him taking over Guntai Enterprises, but he wouldn't have dreamt that his otouto would stand up against him before the collective director's board.  
And then again, his heart swelled with pride, because he knew that by making his disagreement official, Mokuba had won the entire comitee's respect.  
And his as well. 

Three days later, the phone in the Kaiba mansion rang and Mokuba hurried to get it.  
„Moshi, moshi?“  
„Mokuba, konban wa? O-genki desu ka?“  
„Katsuya, good evening! Ja, same old, ne. What about you?“  
„Dito. So, how is he fairing? I'm sure he's driving everybody up the wall by now, ne? How many people did he fire?“  
„Sigh. Seven.“  
„Nani? In one day?“  
„No, this whole week.“  
„Hn, he's getting better then. Used to be up to a dozen before.“  
„So desu, you. Katsuya?“  
„Hnn?“ „I-I miss you.“  
„..I miss you too, Mokuba.“  
„Shouldn't we..tell him?“  
„No, not yet. He's got enough on his hands as it is. Let's wait until after this- debacle is over, then we'll tell him.“  
„He's going to find out sooner or later anyway.“  
„Shirimasu. Kami, I hate going behind his back like this.“  
„Me too. Couldn't we just-“  
„No, Mokuba, I'm sorry, but he has to learn that I'm not his property, and if this is the only way to make him understand, then so be it.“  
„I know, it's just, he's my brother-“  
„-and my husband, but we can't help it. We have to do this, and I can't do it without you. Do I have your full support?“  
„-Yes. Yes, Jounouchi Katsuya, you have my trust in this matter. Just..let me know what you need and you will get it, asap.“  
„..Arigatou, Mokuba. Hey, do me a favor?“  
„Which one?“  
„Take care. Of both of you.“  
„I will. Suki desu.“  
„Heh. I love you too, Mokuba.“  
Klick.  
   
He waited, until the tone reached his ear, then hung up the reciever.  
Propping his elbows on the desk, Seto buried his face in his hands.  
There was no more denying it.  
Katsuya was cheating on him.  
And with his younger brother, of all people.  
Suddenly, everything clicked into place; the fact that Mokuba had dared to defy him, his outto's recently cold shoulder...  
How could he not have seen the signs?  
When had he become so gullible, so..naïve?  
Broad shoulders shook, lean body racked by uncontrollable sobs, as the pain overwhelmed him.  
A single driplet marred the otherwise perfectly polished surface of his desk.  
   
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Sometimes Seto really just needs to be smacked around the head. Or pushed in the right direction. Our out the window...just kidding. But the smack would be well-deserved. 

 

*Guntai: army, troops  
#Doutoku: morals


	13. Per aspera ad astra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's hear it once more for the _Beatles_ , as they give us one of the most iconic moments of music history: _Don't let me down_ is the song wich accompanies this major plotpoint of the story. Again, I took a lot of liberties with, well, just about anything.  
> Also, a heart-to-heart moment can be found here.  
> "Per aspera ad astra" basically translates as "Through hardship to the stars".

65\. _Per aspera ad astra_

„-not the pointiff which is questionable, but this particular witness. Considering his past and current relationship with Kaiba-san, I cannot stress out enough that Jounouchi might have..let us say, confused certain facts.“  
The district counselor gave his opposite a strange look.  
„Even if those facts wouldn't apply, your client would still be spoken guitly in at least five of eight points. It's not as if he were exactly innocent, if you are attempting to plead on that-“  
„Most certainly not,“ assured Tsukuba-san hastily,  
„my client is willed to take full responsibility for his deterrents, but only for those which are undisputably proven. What we are trying to achieve is to decimate Kawashiro Yuji's duration of imprisonment, that is all. All I am asking from you is to take Jounouchi-san's history in consideration when reopening my client's case, nothing more.“  
Again, eyes fought a silent war, then the counselor pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.  
„Well, theorethically I do not see too great a problem there, not from the judical point, anyway. Of course, there is still the moral question. Besides, even if the judge decided that the past-“ he flipped through the files, searching for the exact date,  
„-twenty month in prison were sufficient, I have my doubts that your client would be able to  
post bail.“  
Tsukuba frowned.  
„What kind of amount are we speaking of?“  
There was a short pause.  
„Two-hundred million Yen, not counting the court costs and fine.“  
A broad grin was flashed direction the district counselor.  
„I doubt there will be difficulties regarding that.“  
   
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
   
Four times.  
Four times in a row he had tried to contact Katsuya, and each time the blond had cut him short, excused himself being busy or simply hung up on him after giving him a short hi-and-bye.  
Snarling, the brunet gripped the phone harder and hurled it against the opposite wall, watching with grim satisfaction as it shattered into useless scrap.  
There was a polite knock from the door and, peeking in, Isono-san asked demurely:  
„Sumimasen, Kaiba-san, I suppose this might not be the best of times, but I brought the  
weekly report and-“  
„No, it's alright, at least this way I got something to distract me from.“  
Semi-automatically inspecting the various files, every so often shooting his assistant a question this one answered with little to no difficulties, Seto made sure that every file was accurately signed and stamped, when he noticed something out of order.  
„What is this? A request to the Ministry of Financial Orders for insight on Guntai's refound and councourse history? I never-“  
His eyes fell on the small, red letter at the bottom of the sheet.  
„Actually, Mokuba-san did, Kaiba-san, and since he is vice-president, I thought the both  
of you had agreed on ..that..?“  
Obviously not, concluded Isono, gulping at the hard glare his employer shot him.  
„I want my brother to report to my office the very second he is out of school, wakarimashita?  
„Ha-hai, Kaiba-sama.“  
   
_Nobody ever loved me like he does_  
_Ooh, he does. Yes, he does_  
_And if somebody loved me_  
_Like he do me_  
_Ooh he do me. Yes, he does_  
   
He knocked politely and entered the darkened room.  
„You wanted to see me, nii-san?“  
Sitting behind his desk, face half-way obscured by his right hand, Seto growled:  
„I did.“  
He grabbed a file from his desk and, tossing it at his brother, who caught it reflexively, snarled,  
„Would you care explaining this to me? When did you start handing out requests to the government without my permission or knowledge? Being vice-president does not give you the right to override me!“  
Blue-grey eyes, unwavering and serious, held raging azure ones.  
Then Mokuba stepped closer and asked back:  
„If I had asked you, would you have said yes?“  
His brother sneered.  
„Certainly not!“  
„Then my decision was right. Listen, Seto, I know you don't want to hear it, but you're  
about to charge headalong into a trap! Even Katsuya could see it, but you wouldn't listen to either of us, so he asked me for my support. Jou is officaly working on your project, while at the same time trying to reveal whatever Guntai Enterprises is trying to hide. His assignment comes directly from me, and he is to report to no one else, unless you would like to be informed as well-“  
„That is beside the point, Mokuba. Fact is that you and Katsuya went behind my back and that you misused your position to hand out commissions and schedules without requesting me!“  
„Do you think I liked doing that? Do you think Katsuya was happy when he called me and  
asked me to help him help you? He possibly would have rather cut off his right hand if he could have avoided it, but it's the only way we can help you!“  
„Don't you dare use that tone with me, otouto! If you wanted to aid me, you would be  
negotiating with Guntai's lawyers about the details of the contract, not sniffing around in their financial records!“ roared Seto.  
Mokuba was just about ready to explode.  
Forcing himself to remain calm, he ground out past clenched teeth:  
„Seto, for kami's sake, if you can't trust the two people who love and care the most about  
you, whom else then?“  
Love... The word brought back a snippet, a memory.  
Reclaiming his seat, the brunet asked darkly:  
„Speaking of which..exactly how close are you and Katsuya anyway?“  
Ok, that was unexpected.  
Blinking, Mokuba tried to sort his thoughts, before replying:  
„Well, he is my giri no ani and, aside of you, the closest thing to a family I got.“  
„I see.“  
Crossing his arms, Seto turned his gaze skywards.  
„So, basically, his feelings for him are the same as you have for me, ne?“  
Baffled, the younger Kaiba just stared at his brother, before snapping his mouth closed.  
He could see where this was going.  
Smirking, Mokuba confessed:  
„If you're asking me if I love him, then my answer is yes. Yes, I love him, the same way and almost as dearly as I do you.“  
Blue orbs were trained on him.  
„Do you want to know why?“  
The expectant silence was answer enough, so the raven-haired teen continued:  
„Because he cares for you. Katsuya is totally devoted to you, he will raise heaven and hell just to keep you save, even if it means losing your trust and love. He would probably kill for you if you asked him to, and I know for sure that he would murder everyone who dares to harm you in any way possible.“  
Letting his orbs wander unseeing over the desk, he mumbled:  
„Sometimes, when he looks at you, he seems so -sad, as if he knew that he can't keep you  
forever, as if everything he tries is not enough for you, not enough to keep you safe..and that thought hurts him.“  
Seto had grown quiet throughout Mokuba's declaration, his previously blazing eyes now  
calm and shining with emotion.  
„Katsuya loves you with all his heart, nii-san. You're the centre of his universe, just as you are mine, though in different ways. That's why he takes everything you say and do so serious, because without you...I don't know. Maybe he would just -stop living, or something.“  
For a while, the kyoudai remained quiet, lost in the darkness and their own thoughts, before Mokuba broke the silence.  
„Do you still need me?“  
Sighing, his ani shok his head.  
„No, you're free to hop.“  
Just as Mokuba turned to leave the office, Seto rasped:  
„Mokuba?“  
„Yes?“  
„..Thank you.“  
He smiled, as he opened the door and, walking out, whispered back:  
„Do itashimashite.“  
   
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
   
Sitting in the conference room, Seto let his gaze travel over the assembled men, his attention only partly on their speeches of approval and agreement.  
They were already ten minutes into the seating and so far, there was neither hide nor  
hair from Katsuya-  
„Sumimasen goizamasu, gentlemen, I know I am running late, but my tire found an oil leak on the freeway and almost forced my car off the road. Kaiba-san, here are the files you so urgently requested.“  
Everybody stared at the tall blond who had come barging into the room with but the curtest of polite knocks and was now approaching the somewhat irate CEO.  
Truth be told, Katsuya looked par the worse; although his clothes were clean and freshly ironed, they didn't seem to fit, he had dark circles underneath his amber eyes, which were burning with an almost feverish gleam, his cheeks were hollowed, he sported a tree-days shade and his hair, though well-combed and neatly styled, was brittle and looked as if it could have used a good wash.  
Katsuya came to stand before his husband/employer, bowed deeply and placed the thin folder he carried on the desk before the brunet.  
Bending down, he whispered into Kaiba's ear:  
„Get rid of them, before they get rid of you.“  
With a nod to the collective directors, he said:  
„Gentlemen“ and was gone as fast as he had come.  
„Dedicated little associate you got there, Kaiba-san“ commented one of the elder men dryly.  
The CEO, who had thumbed through the report, gave a tight smirk.  
„Yes, very dedicated and effective indeed. And he just confirmed my suspicions.“  
Closing the folder, he announced:  
„Gentlemen, I am afraid that our fusion will not come to happen.“  
Stunned whispers and mumbles drifted through the air, until a man in a khaki blazer asked:  
„Sumimasen, Kaiba-san, but I do not understand. We assumed, we had come to an agreement-“  
„As I said, my associate is rather effective. He has a talent to reveal...things people rather not have found out.“  
Turning to his assistant, he ordered:  
„Please show Sanada-san, Komara-san and Ikeda-san to the roof, Isono.“  
The three men exchanged confused looks, even as Kaiba's smirk grew colder.  
„It's sixty-eight stories down, gentlemen. You had better brace yourselves for impact.“  
   
_I'm in love for the first time_  
_Don't you know it's going to last_  
_It's a love that lasts forever_  
_It's a love that has no past_  
   
Ikeda shot from his seat.  
„I beg your pardon?!?“  
Azure eyes blazed in anger.  
„Do you really take me for so naïve, that I would simply jump on your offer without doing an extensive background research? Do you consider me that stupid, Ikeda-san? If you do, then I suppose you do not mind explaining to me as how come, the last three companies who achieved a fusion with you went bankrupt? Or why all their funds were written over to Guntai Enterprises? Which, as my sources revealed, does not even exist? And has both Komara and Sanada-san as founding members? Would you care to give me an explanation to all those questions, Ikeda-sama?!?“  
Throughout Kaiba's accusation, the director had grown paler and paler, even as his business partners shifted uncomfortably in their seats.  
Several minutes, silence reigned the conference hall, all eyes trained on the interrogated FEO, who had sunk back in his chair.  
Raising, Ikeda-san stumbled towards the door, muttering:  
„I-I think, I need some fresh air.“  
Kaiba nodded grimly.  
„I assumed as much.“  
None of the men assembled turned to look, when a shadow plummeted past the large windows towards earth.  
   
_Dont let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
   
Letting the smoke drift in the cold night air, Jou let the report pass his mind, as well as  
the few details he had let out.  
GuntaiEnterprises had been on trial for benefactoring its peers, but been spoken free for lack of proof, so far the report read.  
What Jou hadn't mentioned, was that the crown-witness had drowned in his own pool, another one had overdosed on cocaine and a third witness had been involved in a car accident and been in a coma ever since.  
And then there was-  
„Don't you know, smoking is bad for your health?“  
Instead of an answer, Katsuya drew another cigarette and lighted it at the butt from the one clenched between his lips.  
Seto frowned.  
His husband only smoked when he was nervous, and considering the many stunts laying across the porch, Jou was close to a nervous break-down.  
Sighing, Kaiba turned to gaze at the evening sky.  
„They're going to jail. There is enough evidence to keep them behind bars for the next ten  
years.“  
Katsuya snorted.  
„Always providing, they live that long.“  
The CEO nodded.  
„Yakuza.“  
Jou shrugged.  
Giving him a sidelong glance, Seto queried:  
„There was no oil on that road, ne?“  
Sniffling, the blond took another cancer stick and lit it, before stating:  
„Neither did your brother die in an accident.“  
   
_And from the first time that he really done me_  
_Ooh he done me. He done me good_  
_I guess nobody ever really done me_  
_Ooh he done me_  
_Like he done me. He done me good_  
   
Seto whirled around.  
„What?“  
Katsuya inhaled deeply, the amber of the cigarette casting an eerie glow on the blond's beautiful features, and mumbled:  
„Noa. That was no accident, it was a warning to your stepfather. The yakuza had tried to  
get him to join and he refused. So they decided to hit him, where it hurt the most.“  
Seto couldn't draw his sight from the blond, the warm, orange light sharpening every single line in Katsuya's face, the normally golden eyes almost black with worry.  
„Guess, who was the driver of the car that overrun Noa?“  
Smoke billowed around them, accenting the sad smile Jou gave him.  
„Komara-san.“  
The wind picked up, blowing the mist away and cooling the nightly air.  
And both men knew, that all the cuddling in the world wouldn't chase away the chill running up their spines and settling in their hearts.

_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_  
_Don't let me down_

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Personally, I liked the Noa filler arc. It gave a lot more insight into the machinachions and charachter of Kaiba Gozaburo and as to why Seto turned out to be the way he is. In comparison, the Kaiba Grand Prix was a desaster in all regards and did nothing and no one in the series any favours.


	14. Porcelain dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies, amends, sex...what more does one need, really.

 66. _Porcelain dreams_  
   
He could have stood here and watch him the entire night working on the laptop in their study.  
Leaning against the doorframe, Seto took in the picture before him:  
Katsuya sat at the desk, brow furrowed in concentration, nimble hands flying over the keyboard, his tongue every so often gracing the gap between his slightly parted lips...  
It was rather erotic, but Seto also knew that he was merely stalling the inevitable.  
So it was with a heavy sigh- and an even heavier heart- that he pushed himself off the frame and walked towards his husband.  
Pulling up a second chair and sitting down next to Katsuya, he declared:  
„We need to talk.“  
The blond let his eyes flicker to the brunet's face, a semi-curious, half-knowing glance, before returning his focus on the screen.  
Seto patiently waited until he had finished and saved the current page, after all, it was his project which demanded Katsuya's attention.  
„Hai?“  
The CEO flinched slightly, not really knowing how to begin the topic.  
Fidgeting nervously in his seat, he muttered:  
„About the- Doutoku case and the..missunderstandings..I-I just wanted to say I'm so-“  
Katsuya rose both hands in defense.  
„Don't say that, Seto. Don't.. say you're sorry, because I cannot accept your apology.“  
„Shikashi-“  
Expression stern, the blond shook his head vividly.  
„No, Seto, you were right, you're the president, it's your company and you got to call the shots. There was nothing wrong when you put me in my place. After all, you're my employer, and there was no need for me to take it so- personal.“  
Sapphire eyes narrowed in accusation.  
„Katsuya...“  
Aforementioned sighed in defeat.  
„Ja, I admit your tone did hurt me, but that's something I have to work on. Guess, I'm just a little too touchy.“  
   
Taking one of the brunet's long, elegant hands into his own, work-roughened ones, Katsuya rasped:  
„I'm not mad at you for not listening to my advise, after all you got more experience in that field than I. What made me so -upset was, that-Seto, in all those years, have I ever once questioned any of your takeovers, fusions or other decisions you made for Kaiba Corp? Have I ever lost so much as a single word about you fundraising or benefactoring a smaller company? No. Then why should I start all of a sudden, if not because I was worried about your well-being?   
„Seto, I'm your husband, and as such my two highest directives are to make you happy and keep you save by all means and at all costs. But when you didn't even question my motives, when you didn't spare one single second to ask yourself why I opposed you- it hurt most of all. And then you went and gave me twelve days for a task which usually takes weeks, if not months, only for preparation! It was never my intention to draw Mokuba into this, but you gave me a nigh on impossible task to solve, and this was the only way I knew how, since I couldn't count on your cooperation.   
You made me betray your trust, not only in me but in your otouto as well, and even if you can forgive me, I'm not sure I can forgive myself.“  
Lowering his head, Katsuya hid his tear-brimmed eyes behind his bangs.  
„Gomen nasai, koibito, I didn't mean to-“  
One slender finger stopped any fortcoming words.  
   
„Don't you ever do that, Jounouchi Katsuya. Don't you ever, ever apologize for being too considerate or trying too hard to protect me. You should never apologize for loving me too much and dedicating your life to me, aibou.“  
Gently forcing the blond's head up to look into the golden orbs he adored so much, Seto whispered:  
„And don't you ever feel sorry about loving me too much, because there is no such thing as too much love.“  
He rained kisses all over his outto's face, trailing down this one's jawline and neck, before hushing into Katsuya's ear:  
„When was the last time we made love, koibito?“  
Katsuya smirked.  
„Didn't you just try to pound me through the matress the other day-?“  
Seto shook his head.  
„No, I don't mean merely sex, but actual lovemaking.“  
Blond brows furrowed in concentration, as calloused fingers glid beneath the silky material of Seto's shirt and began popping the buttons open.  
„Must have been somewhen before this whole mess started. To be honest, I already wondered if I would ever get to lay you again.“  
His husband losened his belt and zipper, nipping at the student's pulse, and growled:  
„What makes you think, I would let you seme?“  
„You still owe me an apology, remember? And I might be willing to forgive and forget, if you'll be my obedient little loveslave...my plaything. My sextoy...“  
Letting Katsuya slip the shirt over his broad shoulders, Seto scowled.  
„I don't like being uke that much...“  
Katsuya merely grinned, as he placed the brunet's right hand against the bulge in his shorts.  
„Oh, but you do. You like it when I ram every single inch of my rock-hard dick into that sweet, tight ass of yours. You totally get off on imaginating me bending you over your desk and fucking you until you're so hoarse, you can't even whisper. You love being chained to the bed, legs spread wide, ready and laid out for me to-“  
He was yanked forwards by a hand fisting his hair and found his mouth plundered by a wicked tongue, then Seto broke the kiss and, pulling him up, rasped:  
„Gods, I hate when you talk dirty, I always makes me lose my inhibitions.“  
„And your shame. Not to mention your dignity-“  
The dull ache caused by Seto shoving him against the wall and attemping to suffocate him with his tongue only dimly registered in Katsuya's lust-fogged mind.  
Again and again, lean, strong bodies were pressed against the smooth tapestry on their travel down the hall, items of clothing thrown every which way, as the couple tried to cope with the need ruling their bodies and actions.  
Opposite their bed they paused, as the brunet nipped and nibbled his way down Katsuya's chest and firm abs, paused briefly to pull down the shorts and began giving his husband head.  
Moaning, the blond tilted his head back, reveling in the feeling of Seto's hot, wet mouth and eager sucking.  
Once the CEO had lubricated Katsuya's massive erection to his liking, he rose and, clasping his arms around this one's neck, began climbing him, placing his long legs around the slim hips.  
Blond brows shot up in surprise; immediately picking up on Seto's plan, Katsuya took firm hold of the brunet's behind, lifting him a little higher so this one could wrap his limbs around Katsuya's waist.  
„Feeling kinky, ne?“ panted the blond, aiming for the brunet's entrance.  
Who shook his head and rumbled:  
„No, only very horny, and very despera-kami!“  
Bitemarks, deep and slightly bloodied, were left on the blond's shoulder, giving testimony to the pain Seto willingly, happily suffered by being taken without preparation for lust's sake.  
Katsuya grit his teeth, spreading the brunet's ass cheeks a little wider for better access -and almost screamed, when this one suddenly relaxed and his cock slid with little resistance all the way into Seto's body.  
Gasping for air and fighting for control, Katsuya finally managed:  
„Seto-if-you..ever do that-again, I'll screw-you-to kingdom come!“  
„Is that a promise?“  
Instead of an answer, the blond merely pulled out a little -and pushed back in hard, elicting a blissfull wail from his outto.  
Growling low in his throat, Katsuya kept thrusting in and out of the CEO, inbetween licking and grazing this one's nipples with his teeth.  
   
Seto was in a semi-delirious state, is ecstacy building up with each single shove, every deep push, all the demanding, sexy, hungry noises Katsuya made...  
How come, that after all this time together, they barely ever managed to take it slow and gentle, to simply enjoy the carresses and embraces shared between satin sheets, the company of one another?  
On the other hand, neither of them would have wanted it any other way.  
Clenching his rectal muscles, Seto reveled in the feeling of being filled completely, the tip of Katsuya's hardened length stabbing his sweet spot over and over again, sending sparks from his prostrate to his groin, through his body, up his spine and into his brain, turning him into the willing, wanton sex-slave Katsuya had claimed him to be.  
Katsuya had an entirely different problem; he was too aroused.  
Either the party would be over before it had really started, or he wouldn't be able to stop for a good, long time.   
„Might well be that Seto gets his wish“,  
he mused, and then the brunet clenched around him, constricting his member in a vise-like hold, and Katsuya threw his head back as he orgasmed, semen jetting into Seto's shuddering body.  
Sinking to his knees, the blond tried to regain his breath, even as the CEO rested his head in the crook of his neck.  
Minutes passed, the two married men reveling in the presence of each other, then Katsuya shifted Seto's weight slightly.  
„I'm still hard“, he mumbled, and Seto grinned.  
„Proof it.“  
Katsuya gave him an unreadable look, then lowered his koi to the floor, folded the brunet's legs to his chest and resumed the previous thrusting, sliding in and out of the now well-lubricated hole, enjoying Seto's pleas of first approval, then exhaustion.  
And, finally, merci.  
   
Mokuba smiled in his bedroom, as he listened to his brother's screams.  
'About time, it's been too long, really.'  
 Some seventy minutes later Mokuba marched over to the master bedroom and, pounding on the door, yelled:  
„That's enough, knock it off, already! I don't care how much fun you're having, but I need my eight hours of sleep!“  
Stomping back to his own dorm, he mumbled under his breath:  
„Besides, it doesn't sound like it were healthy at all -let alone sane!“  
„Kami, onegai, Katsuya, onegaiiiii!“  
Mokuba flinched, sweatdropping, then shook his head.  
„Nope, not sane at all!“  
With a faint whisper, the door closed behind the raven-haired teen.  
   
In the end, Seto got what he wanted.  
Reaching an agreement with the Ministry of Finance Ordinace, he managed to coax Doutoku Enterprises into the flock of companies heralded by Kaiba Corp.  
It was only matter of time now, that his vision would come true.  
   
Ring-  
„Moshi, moshi?“  
„A hailstorm has hit the garden and destroyed the harvest, but the seeds and plants are still intact.“  
„I see. What about the weeds?“  
„Have been removed and destroyed.“  
„Good. We will need a new gardener. Preferably two.“  
„Wakarimashita.“  
Klick

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
No, not going with the 'dundundun'. There are better ooccasions to put it to use.


	15. Transparent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A tiny plot point hidden amongst the not-so-everyday trivia and one of the reasonings behind Seto's current project.

67\. _Transparent_  
   
Kaiba Seto was not prone to cuss.  
Little wonder that Katsuya was taken completely by surprise, when he entered his husband's laboratory and found the brunet cursing at the top of his lungs in every tongue he could muster.  
Searching for the least hazardous place to sit, he detected an empty spot on one of the various tables strewn across the office and, folding his arms before his chest, asked humbly:  
„Que pasa, adore?“  
Normally, using foreign languages managed to both calm down and turn on the brunet, but this time all Katsuya got in reward was a glare that could have smashed boulders.  
„You are one to ask! How dare you be so sassy after what you have done?“  
The blond's jaw dropped; this was definetly not the greeting he had expected after being gone a whole week.  
Keeping his tone firm and even, he queried:  
„Ja, hello to you too, koibito. Has something happened since we last saw one another, or-“  
Seto practically took a leap at his husband; with a growl, he snatched Katsuya by the front of his shirt and pulled him close, their noses almost touching.  
For a split-second, the student was tempted to steal a kiss, which, considering the CEO's mood, would have probably earned him a punch.  
Instead, he quenched the tiny spark of arousment and put on a straight, if not surprised face.  
Seto was not fooled but this, because his eyes narrowed in a mixture of lust and disgust, before he hissed:  
„'Project AI-15 ready and set to go in production!' Weren't those your exact words when you came to deliver the finished layouts to my desk? Then how come the entire scripts are swarming with faults? I stumble over massive code errors and wrong formatting every which way! I trusted you with my most important project ever and you give me a pile of data scrap?!? Have I not made it clear, that AI-15 has absolute priority above anything else at the moment? Or did you think, since you are my husband, you didn't need to take it so serious?!?“  
Katsuya opened his mouth to protest, but Seto cut him off.  
Eyes blazing, he snarled:  
„Then let me put this into perception for you: you are one of the two Chief Project Leaders, you follow my direct order and if you don't fucking get this mess you call a script back into working order, I'll have you fired so fast, you won't even realize you are out of a job!"  


Mouth wide open, Katsuya merely gaped.  
Ok, what the hell could have happened that Seto would threaten him like this?  
He knew for sure that his files were, well, perhaps not practically perfect, but nowhere as catastrophal as the CEO made them to be. After all, he had spent the last four months doing nothing but rehearsing and debugging them.  
There was something else going on here, and this time, it had nothing to do with broken trusts or risky business, but with Seto's matter of perception.  
Studying his husband quietly, Katsuya noticed the dark circles and hollowed cheeks of the brunet.  
And then there was that infamous stress nerve on his right temple, the 'tell' sign that Seto had probaly not seen more than twelve hours of sleep in the past six days.  
„Why are you in such a rush? I mean, even if we need to rewrite every single code, we'd still be two days ahead of schedule. So why are you suddenly feeling so hard-pressed to-“  
„Because I want the Virtual Reality Chamber to be released in fourty-two days, which happens to be my birthday, if you recall! And would be ten years to the day that I had the idea for this project.“  
Releasing his outto, Seto took a step back; hope, confusion, shame and anxiety warring on his face.  
Katsuya gave a small smile, before circling the brunet's waist from behind.  
Rubbing Seto's neck with his cheek and giving it a gentle kiss, he urged him to continue.  
The corporate president relaxed into the gentle ministrations, mumbling:  
„On my eleventh birthday, my-our-stepfather took me to the flight simulator on his private airport, so I could learn how to conduct our private jet. I remember sitting in that stupid capsule, waiting eagerly for the screen to flicker on..You can't imagine the dissapointment I felt upon seeing those -prehistorical grapics. The sounds, the motions, everything was so-wrong, it made me sick. I remember getting my flight permit in record time, because I didn't want to spend more time than absolutely needed in that primitive box. That's when I decided to create a virtual reality chamber where everything was so life-like, that one couldn't discern it from the real world.“  
He closed his eyes, leaning against Katsuya, who petted and kissed his backhead and side of the face.  
„It's the one thing that has kept me driving, aside of Mokuba and you, of course. Every single program, every holograpic projector, the DuelDisc-it was all part of AI-15; testruns, experiments, even those capsules you remember from High School were nothing but three-dimensional, functioning models for the actual prototypes.“  
Seto gave a heavy sigh, a sudden rush of exhaustion making his tongue heavy.  
„And now that I'm so close to my goal, now that I can finally realize my dream, I find myself becoming more and more antsy. I've waited so long, Katsuya, and my patience is running out. Time is running out.“  
Katsuya froze, lips a scarce centimeter away from Seto's ear.  
„What do you mean, time's running out? I thought we were ahead of schedule-?“  
„These things cost money, koi. A lot of money. I invested practically every single Yen Kaiba Corp has at its dispense into AI-15. We need to bring it out before Christmas, preferably before the winter season hits the shops.“  
Squeezing the man in his arms gently, the blond queried:  
„How-bad is it, Seto? For real. Are we going bankrupt, or-“  
„Don't be ridiculous!“ snorted the CEO.  
Straigthening himself, he tenderly freed himself from Katsuya's embrace to face him.  
„We would have to sell a company or two, perhaps cut down on some employees, but that's not the point.“  
Katsuya smirked.  
„Wakarimashita. You hate losing anything you consider yours, ne?“  
Seto gazed at him, an alien, unreadable expression on his face. Then he nodded.  
„Precisely. Especially if I had to work so hard to gain it.“  
 

In the following weeks, Mokuba found himself more and more often forced to attend the various business meetings alone. Which didn't matter that much, seeing as how he was in charge of all financial aspects.  
Nevertheless, the raven-haired teen was worried; his ani was spending money almost as fast as they made it, and the younger Kaiba had a hard time convincing the various investors and directors that Seto knew what he was doing.  
Katsuya spent every waking(and many a sleeping)moment revamping and clearing his schedules; Tsuchiya Seichi and Yurakucho Ran were chasing Doutoku's ensemble around  
like the proverbial rabbits and everybody was working overtime.  
It was not a rare happening, that Mokuba returned from school or a meeting and found bothSeto and his giri no ani fast asleep admidst files, notebooks and calculations.  
Twenty-four days before the official release, shortly before the first series of chambers went into production, Seto collapsed in the entry hall of the Kaiba Tower and was restricted to his bed for five days straight by doctor's orders.

Three days later he got into a fight with Katsyua, because the blond came home from college to find him typing away at the mainframe.  
Hauling the brunet back to their bedroom, Katsuya tried not to let the worry seep into his voice when he noticed how much weight his husband had lost, but roared:  
„And if you ten times know how to fix that last code, I don't want you down there before sensei says so, wakarimashita?“  
He dumped the CEO unceremoniously on their bed, but before he had a chance to take off his shoes and tuck him in, Seto was already up again and trying to escape.  
However, Katsuya knew his husband well enough to have foreseen that move; quickly he snatched his wrist and, using one of Seto's own tricks, propelled the brunet back on the comforter, where he pinned and held him down by sheer force.  
„And stay put, or do I have to fucking tie you down, you bloody eel?!?“  
For a second, both men froze at the blond's outburst, then Seto gave a sly grin and purred:  
„My, I didn't knew you were into bondage, but if you are willing to give it a try, I surely would not mind.“  
Katsuya was stunned; Seto was pushing his groin upward to meet his, their cloth-concealed members touching ever so lightly. The blond gave a low, needy moan when he imagined his husband chained to the bedposts, long legs entangled in silk ropes...  
Sapphire, alluring and calculating despite the obvious exhaustion, locked onto concerned, aroused golden ones.  
„I could do that for you, koi, if you give me another hour-no, forty minutes-to finish my work. How does that sound, hmm?“  
The blond shivered with lust, then gave a broad grin.  
   
„-check on you in an hour. Sweet dreams, aibou!“  
smiled Katsuya, as he waved good-bye to Seto, who was handcuffed to the bed and staring at him, rage and disbelief evident on his face.  
„Don't you dare do that, Katsuya! Don't you dare walk out on me, you bastard!“  
The blond tutted and, closing the door, cheered:  
„Oyasumi nasai, koibito!“  
Click  
The CEO gaped at the closed door, then began to buck and twist in his bonds, shouting:  
„Come back! Come back here this very minute and free me, you god-forsaken son-of-a-bitch! Do you hear me, Jounouchi Katsuya? Or kami help me, you will never recover from  
what I'm going to do to you, once I get out of here!“  
There was no answer, only the rapidly fading sound of footsteps gaining distance.  
„Katsuya?“  
Silence.  
Seto groaned, letting his head plop on the pillow.  
Minutes passed, the only sound in the large room the brunet's rythmic breaths, then,  
„I need to use the bathroom.“  
 

„Kawashiro.“  
The aforementioned turned to see his friend-of-sorts saunter up to him.  
Switching his trolley from the right to the left hand, he waited on the path near the gate leading to freedom.  
The younger man came to stand short before him, eyes alert and accusing.  
He held out his hand and, offering Kawashiro a dented, obviously often-read book, stated:  
„I..heard you're leaving today, so I figured you'd want this back.“  
Grey met chestnut; a curt, silent conversation was exchanged, then Kawashiro grinned.  
„Keep it. You can return it to me when we meet again.“  
With that, he turned and, giving the guard a last, heartfelt good-bye, stepped through the main entry towards the waiting taxi.  
His comrade watched him leave, the meaning behind Kawashiro's words slowly sinking in.  
And then, for the first time in years, a genuine, truly grateful smile crossed the man's features, making him look stunningly beautiful.

 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Heh, it still cracks me up, picturing Seto swearing and cursing like a drunk sailor being shanghaied...


	16. Translucent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Festivities and smut, oh dear...

68\. _Translucent_  
   
Seated between his otouto and husband, Kaiba Seto nervously tugged at his tie and asked:  
„How do I look?“  
Mokuba and Isono-san both groaned, and Katsuya merely smirked.  
His assistant removed his sunshades to rub his eyes and, donning them, stated:  
„Impeccable, Kaiba-san.“  
The CEO frowned.  
„Really? I mean, isn't the tie too dull -I mean, it is a release after all-“  
„Onii-san, you look perfect“ assured Mokuba for the third time since they had left the house.  
Today was Seto's twenty-first birthday and, as he had planned and worked for so hard, also the day the Virtual Chamber was offically presented and hitting the shelfs, in a manner of speaking.  
Needless to say, the brunet had been acting like a ten-years-old before Christmas; rehearsing his speech, switching his wardrobe six times and basically emitting the tranquility of a rapt hornet.  
Katsuya smirked anew, when Seto checked his fingernails and polished shoes, then gave the other two occupants a wink and, clasping the CEO's right hand into his own, hushed:  
„Babe, you look absolutely, breathtakingly delectable. And if we didn't have a press conference in ten minutes, I'd take you right here and now and fuck you through the seat, no matter the audience.“  
Isono-san coughed, Mokuba buried his face in his hands and sighed, Seto blushed a deep crimson and Katsuya -merely reclined in his seat, letting the brunet's hand accidentally drop into his lap.  
The rest of the drive was rather quiet.  
   
Perfection marked the spot.  
Everything had gone as planned, even the weather had been friendly and the audience had reacted surprisingly well to him not only bringing along his husband, but publicly flirting with and kissing him.  
Of course, Seto made it a point to honor both Yurakucho and Tsuchiya as well as Doutoku's hard work; Katsuya had not wanted it to be made public that he, too, had been actively involved in the creative process.  
Not that it mattered really, everybody knew that a vital part of both the background and characters' design was Jou's handiwork, but the blond was already bothered enough by the fact that the press insisted on interviewing Kaiba's gorgeous spouse; if he would have been forced to explain the vast technical details of AI-15 to a bunch of non-comprehensive vultures -pardon, paparazzi- who were more interested in his love-live than his inventive skills, he would have probably turned homicidal.  
Luckily, the press conference didn't last that long, and soon enough, Seto left for dinner, his little family and friends flocking around and behind him.

„Are you tired, koi?“  
Katsuya nodded, yawning politely.  
„So desu, you. My boss, the cruel, heartless slavedriver, made me do double-and triple-shifts for three weeks straight. So yes, I'm a little burnt out.“  
Seto hmped in understanding and sipped from his wine, before asking:  
„And what does your husband say?“  
The blond grunted.  
„He says, with the steadily increasing unemployment rate and fluctuating market suituation, I should be happy to have a job at all.“  
Blue eyes flashed in amusement.  
„Your husband must be a very smart man then, ne.“  
Katsuya shrugged, trying to will the dizzyness away.  
„No argument there, pretty.“  
   
What was wrong with him?  
Somewhere between the grilled *Ayu and the +Fugu chiri-nabe, a sudden wave of tiredness had washed over him like a cloudbreak.  
Katsuya knew, he was exhausted; the past couple of weeks had been straining for him-for all of them actually, but still...  
Determinded not to let his sleepiness spoil Seto's big day, the blond dove into the various dishes with as much appetite as he could muster.  
However, shortly after the dessert-Rice cake, Nashi sorbet and, for those who wished, #Shiruko, Katsuya couldn't help himself anymore, placed his chin on his palm and, pretending to listen intently to the soft, plucking sounds of the Koto^, let his lids drift closed, deciding that a short nap after such a delightful and opulent meal was well in place.  
When he opened his eyes again, he was staring at the ceiling of their bedroom.  
   
„You are awake. Perfect. I just finished with my preparations...“  
Blinking to remove the few remaining cobwebs from his mind, Katsuya attempted to sit up.  
„Ara, Seto, nan-ugh!“  
With a small poof, the blond landed back on the pillows, realizing that not only his wrists had been handcuffed, but also his ankles were chained to the bedposts.  
A wry grin curled his lips.  
„Heh, I always thought I was the kinky one. Nice to see you join the club-“  
The words got stuck in his throat, when he saw Seto aproaching him, wearing nothing but black leather gloves and the infamous Kaiba smirk, his left hand hidden from Katsuya's view.  
Slowly, gracefully, the brunet climbed on the large bed and glid with the elegance of a prowling tiger towards his spouse.  
His fully awakened and more than slightly aroused spouse.  
A low, rumbling sound escaped the CEO, and Katsuya shivered.  
„Not..necessarily. Actually, this is punishment for what you did to me the other day. Or have you already forgotten that I swore you revenge?“  
Forcing his mind to re-establish the higher functions, the bound gave a shaky, if not guilty, smile.  
„Oh, come on, Seto, you can't still be mad at me because..of...“  
He trailed off, his eyes growing wide as saucers, when he saw what Seto produced from behind his back.  
And gulped at the look on the brunet's face.  
„You're all mine now, Katsu-chan, and since it's my birthday, I can do with you whatever I please, ne? But first,“ he lowered his face, until his lips almost touched Katsuya's left ear,  
„I want to see you suffer.“  
He licked the earshell gently, once, twice, making Katsuya shiver in expectation, then turned his attention to the blond's nether regions, particuarly this one's straining erection.  
Katsuya bit his lip, when the peacock feather ghosted over his glans, sweat breaking out on his brow.  
The feather circled his penis in slow, spiraling motions, irritated his scrotum and finally touched his inner thighs, not without a whisper across his testicles.  
„Gods-!“  
„My sentiments exactly, koi. Now hold still, we have only just begun.“  
Seto let the feather glide over the flat stomach and chiseled pecs of his victim, then reached for the lube sitting on the nightstand.  
Katsuya let out a breath of relief; it hadn' been quite as bad as he had assumed. Watching as Seto expertly coated two fingers of his left hand with the gel, he tried to lift his hips a little higher and relax as far as possible.  
Grunting in approval, the CEO wasted no time in preparing the blond, making sure that he slickened and widened Katsuya' entrance as good as possible.  
„Brace yourself, koi. I am going to punish you know.“  
Confusion gave way to utter surprise, then horror, when Katsuya saw the long, slender parrot feather descend between his legs.  
„Seto, please, no, you can't-you -oh gooods!“  
It was not painful, in contrary, but the soft, brushing motions sent myriads of tiny jolts through Katsuya's entire body. Within a matter of seconds, he could feel every single nerve come alive due to the unfamiliar intrusion.  
Seto watched in fascination how the lithe figure beneath him twisted and bent, strained and fought against the maddening feelings enslaving, possessing, torturing it, seeking for release and only finding yet another level of excruciating desire.  
Eyes screwed shut, fists clenched, teeth grit and his entire body strung taut as a bow, Katsuya was the very picture of male sexual tension.  
Pulling the feather out ever so little, Seto marveled at how Katsuya's breathing hitched and his adam's apple began to jump and dance in small, uncontrolled motions.  
A twist of his fingers, and Katsuya wailed in blissfull agony.  
Seto gave the feather a small flick, and his husband screamed in utter despair, when the soft tip bore into his prostrate.  
Katsuya was crying now; his toes curled and every single synapse in his brain fired thousands of billions of impressions from and to his groin, the raw, gnawing hunger in his loins making him roar in anger, frustration and need.  
And then he broke free.  
   
With two sharp, silvery clanks, the chains of his handcuffs ceased their duty, and Katsuya had free reign over his arms.  
It was hard to tell, who was more surprised, him or Seto.  
Given, the brunet knew that the handcuffs were better toys, but still he had not thought it remotely possible for this to happen.  
Katsuya's thoughts were not quite as complex; he took a moment to realize he was free, and decided to end his torture.  
All of a sudden, Seto found himself in a vise grip, and a hoarse voice whispering senseless pleas into his ear.  
„Gods, please, Seto, please, anything, onegai, take-take, me, please, but don't-don't-I can't bear it anymore, onegai, Seto, onegai...“  
It took him a moment to realize that Katsuya was actually sobbing, but once he did, Seto immediately began hushing and comforting his outto.  
Tenderly licking and kissing the tears from the tinged cheeks, the CEO let his deep tenor rumble soothing words into the blond hair, until Katsuya had calmed down so far, that he would listen to reason.  
He propped himself up on his elbows and, wiping a few strands from the bloodshot, amber eyes, Seto confessed:  
„I-I am sorry about that, koi. When I drugged you at lunch-“  
Blond brows shot up, but the brunet halted any upcoming questions,  
„I had not really thought about what I wanted to do with you-aside of chaining you to the bed, of course. However, when I brought you to the limo, we passed the hotel foyer and there stood this vase with all those feathers-it-it was more an out of the spur-of-the-moment idea, but I thought, it would be funny. I-I'm sorry, if I had known it would cause you this much pain-“  
„Are you kidding me?“  
Sapphire blinked in confusion, even as Katsuya shook his head.  
„You didn't hurt me, Seto. In contrary, it was very nice, I mean, it tickled like hell and everything, but it didn't hurt. Not in that manner, anyway.“  
Guilt seeped into the brunet's voice at his love's serious tone.  
„It was too much, ne?“  
Katsuya nodded, expression a strange mixture between stern and aroused.  
„Hai. It was too much. For a moment I really thought, I was going insane, and that I would have to hurt you to make you stop. If you had kept it up, I probably would have.“  
They gazed into each other's eyes, questioning, assuring, then Seto gave Katsuya a gentle kiss.  
„Gomen nasai, aibou. I-never thought it to be this..awful.“  
He gave a small sigh, as he resettled himself between the blond's thighs.  
„As much as I enjoy you being somewhat bound, there is one downhill to me claiming you.“  
Katsuya frowned, as Seto gave an apologetic smile and continued:  
„The feather has to go.“  
„Oh.“  
Gently, slowly, Seto eased the pointed item from Katsuya's irritated channel, the blond digging his nails into his husband's broad shoulders.  
Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the feather was completely removed and immediately replaced with Seto's cock.  
Both men gave a sigh of relief, and in no time short, the soft clatter of the chains mingled with their ragged breaths and the rythmic creaking of the bed.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
To this very day, I can not recall or tell you where this idea with the feather sprang from. Just..don't try it at home, kids, ne?

 

*Ayu: a relative to smelts; common in East Asia this fish also goes by the name of 'sweet fish' and is a very beloved delicacy. Famous are Ayu no shio yaki; grilled salted ayu which  
are skewered in a wave-like fashion to imitate 'swimming' motions  
+Fugu chiri-nabe: puffer fish hot pot  
#Shiruko: sweet adzuki bean soup, traditionally a fall/winter dessert served with mochi. Variations include whole and crushed/mashed beans  
^Koto: traditional 13-stringed zither, Japan's national instrument


	17. Because of me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the truth is revealed, when we least expect it..and to the person, we least would want it to be known...

69\. _Because of me_

Katsuya’s pencil dropped from between his lips.  
Seto’s eyes bulged to almost comical proportions.  
Otherwise, the two men remained perfectly motionless.  
“Well?”  
Mokuba stood in the center of Seto’s private office, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to the other. Finally, Katsuya regained his composure and rasped:  
“Oh..my..gods!”  
His husband had obviously lost the ability of speech; lips moving in mute, senseless babble, the CEO made his way from his seat to his otouto, clinging to his desk for support. Once he came to stand before the teen, he let his incredulous gaze wander over this one’s drastically shortened mane, and managed one single word:  
“Do..shite..?”  
Mokuba huffed:  
“Simple: they were getting too long, too hot and too messy. Besides, I really only wanted to get a new look.”  
He shrugged.  
“And it’s not that radical, ne?”  
“Shikashi…”  
A look of utter longing and nostalgia appeared on Seto’s face as he patted the well-combed tresses on the teen’s head.  
Mokuba was right, it wasn’t really that short except for the rear, where it had been shaved down to a few millimeters, but overall his hair remained as long and spiky as always. Katsuya gazed at his outto, who was still trying to cope with Mokuba’s newest fashion decree, and couldn’t resist.  
With a wry smile, he snatched pencil and noteblock and began to sketch down a few doodles.  
Minutes passed, in which the only sounds to be heard were the scratching noises of Katsuya’s pencil and the occasional, half-strangled sigh coming from Seto, then Mokuba muttered:  
“I wish, you would stop doing that. You’re messing up my hair, you know.”  
“Besides,” added the blond, as he walked over to them, “you look nothing like the big, bad Kaiba Seto when grooming your brother.”  
With that, he handed the kyoudai the sketchblock and watched their reactions.  
Seto first tilted a brow, then scowled at his teary-eyed image petting a sweatdropping Mokuba’s hair.  
The raven-maned teen chuckled.  
“Oh, yeah, that’s definetly nii-san. But I don’t look like a porcupine” he mused.  
Seto shook his head.  
“You’re right, now you bear resemblance to a hegdehog.”  
“Hey! No need to be insulting!”  
The brunet only huffed in mock indignance.  
“I was merely stating a fact, and although I understand your need for a change, I fail to see why you felt you had to disband with your wonderful, long tresses.”  
Mokuba gave a dishearted moan.  
“Onegai, not the why-can’t-I have-long-hair-like-him-routine again!”  
Katsuya chuckled.  
“Why shouldn’t he? I mean, lots of successful businessmen wear ponytails these days, so why not you?”  
The brunet huffed, then growled:  
“I can’t.”  
“Of course you can!” beamed the blond, “after getting wed to the sexiest guy in all of Japan,” he gave a sly grin at this, “I doubt, there isn’t anything short of murder you couldn’t pull off, and the media would simply love-“  
“I can’t!” exclaimed Seto.  
“He can’t” stated Mokuba.  
Katsuya blinked in confusion.  
“What do you mean, he can’t? He just has to-“  
“Nii-san’s hair breaks off, as soon as it reaches shoulder-length, usually even before that. We’ve tried everything, but to no avail. The doctors say, it’s a genetic de-quirk, or something. Ironically, because mine grow faster than I can cut them.”  
Golden eyes flitted from one brother to the other, back and forth, then Katsuya crossed his arms before his chest and muttered:  
“So, basically, Seto is living out his desire for long hair through you and me? No wonder he always goes into a fit, each time I get the ends cut.”  
The brunet coughed, as Mokuba gaped at the blond, then his ani.  
A thoughtful look crossed his features at Seto’s somewhat embarassed expression.  
“Hmm, you know, that would explain why he never really insisted on me combing or tying it up. Come to think of it, I can’t remember getting them cut since we were adopted…”  
Katsuya nodded.  
“It would also explain, why he died them green way back when -which really isn’t your color, koibito. I hate to tell you this, but you looked like a walking leek at the time!”  
Seto bristled, Mokuba chuckled and Katsuya grinned, before he turned to the younger Kaiba and asked:  
“So, who’s the lucky girl? Or is it a guy?”  
Mokuba blinked, then replied in a grave tone:  
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”  
The blond waved off.  
“Please, it hasn’t been that long since I was your age, and the only one I would have ever cut -or not cut- my hair for would have been my koi. So, is it someone we know or you want to keep this person a mystery?”  
Mokuba’s eyes darted from Seto to Katsuya and back, before he gave a mute sigh and muttered:  
“Promise, you won’t laugh?”  
Once he had his relatives’s affirmation, the teen drew a deep breath and admitted:  
“It’s Reiko.”  
Katsuya’s brows shot up and Seto frowned:  
“Reiko? Kaminari Reiko? The one you claimed, you did not want to have anything to do with again?”  
“Yeah, so what about it?”  
The couple exchanged amused looks.  
“Ohh, nothing, really, it’s just, you know..” mused Katsuya, and Seto added:  
“Considering the time and effort you put into removing her from your very life and memory, I was certain you would not ever even want to hear her name again.”   
Glaring daggers at his ani, Mokuba snapped:  
“Ja, it didn’t take two years of fighting with each other for us to realize, we belong together. Unlike certain other people.”  
He grinned smugly as Seto bristled and Katsuya pinked with embarassment. Chuckling, the teen crossed his arms behind his head and queried:  
“So, how did you hit it off? I bet it was something romant-“  
The words died on his lips, when he saw his ani’s expression darken and Katsuya’s face turn ashen, as a look of utter guilt and such deep shame crossed the blond’s features, it made Mokuba’s heart clench.  
“What? Did I say something…what happened?”  
Katsuya turned away from him, even as Seto’s eyes bore into his husband’s back of the head.  
“Should we let him know?”  
The blond merely shrugged.  
“It’s not my place to tell.”  
Seto’s eyes narrowed, and although he couldn’t see it, Katsuya flinched in reaction to the steely gaze.  
“Yes it is. It is your decision as well as mine.”  
The student took a deep breath, then faced Mokuba and urged him to sit down. After making sure the door was savely locked, Katsuya took place on the desk and contemplated, how to begin.

 

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Strangely enough, the lead-up to this most dreaded of conversations was pretty easy to write; perhaps because it felt so..natural. An innocent, light-hearted question setting off a hailstorm of conflicting memories and pain.


	18. Brightest darkness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we finally learn what made Jounouchi snap and do the things he did. Each taken on its own, the events might not seem too upsetting, but combined and put into context, they result in a rather jarring experience.  
> Also, this is officially the seventieth chapter, though the story is not yet done.

70\. _Brightest darkness_

It was exactly six thirty am.  
He knew, because the old clock on the cupboard always ran two minutes early, never mind how often he set and reset it. As he entered, it read precisely 06.32, which meant he had one hour to shower, eat, finish his homework and get ready for school.  
Despite the fact that he was entirely exhausted. Doing triple shifts as delivery boy was a very demanding job.  
With a sigh, Katsuya slipped out of his shoes and walked into the dim-lit living room-  
His father was waiting for him.  
And the way his old man smiled, it set off every single alarm inside Katsuya’s brain.  
Wariliy, he stepped closer and asked:  
“What?”  
The elder Jounouchi’s smile widenend, and despite-or actually because-it being a honest smile, Katsuya felt his stomach plummet to his knees. His father reeked of alcohol, but was surprisingly sober, when he stretched his arms out and exclaimed:  
“I got a job!”  
Jou forgot all weariness at this news.  
“Ho-honto de? Oh my gods, chichi, that-that’s great! I mean, you- and we- and- you- and-“  
The elder Jounouchi stopped his son’s exited babbling and cheering with both hands raised.  
“Easy there, Katsuya, no need to get too wound up about this; it’s just a part-time job at the Seiza Construction Group. They needed some strong men who would take over the night shift, so I went over and they hired me right away.”  
Katsuya’s mind was still reeling with the news; perhaps, finally, after all these years, things would turn out for the better…  
The listless sigh escaping his father’s mouth made the blond frown.  
“Is there a catch to it?”  
he asked, the feeling of impending doom returning with a vengeance. His father shook his head, then gave an embarassed chuckle, which made Katsuya’s hair stand on its ends.  
“Unluckily, as I celebrated my new employment, I guess I had one drink too many. I tripped on the sidewalk and sprained my ankle,”  
Katsuya’s eyes dropped to his father’s jean-clad legs and found the right foot heavily bandaged,  
“so I’m afraid I won’t be able to show up the next couple of nights, leave alone tonight. Unless of course,” he turned his head, mud-brown eyes shifting to meet amber ones,  
”I can find a- replacement?”  
Jou narrowed his eyes.  
“If you’re asking me to jump in for you, my answer is no. I’m already working my ass off enough as it is, in case you happened to forget.”  
His father sighed.  
“Yes well, but you see, there’s your sister’s allowances-“  
“which I come up for!”  
“-and the school fees…”  
“Which I’ve taken care of!”  
“Not to mention the inflation rate, which makes living even more expensive than it already is.”  
“So there’ll only be twenty beers a night for you instead of thirty. Big deal.”  
He knew he was threading on thin ice, but his mood was bad enough as it was without his father unnecessarily adding to his misery. Inwardly, he already steeled himself for the inevitable beating, but was positively- or rather, negatively- surprised.  
Again, a dishearted sigh, as Jounouchi senior nestled about in his pockets, mumbling:  
“Besides, I don’t think, your precious little friend would be too happy if the two of you would be forced to..disbond.”  
A chill ran up Katsuya’s back. Precious little friend?!?  
Balling his fists, the blond teen growled:  
“Don’t you dare to touch Yuu-“  
Golden eyes widenend in disbelief, when he recognized the object his father balanced between two fingers.  
His Red Eyes Black Dragon!  
From far away, he could hear his father’s voice, musing:  
“This is a very dangerous area, you know? With an extremely high crime rate. I’d be more careful than to let my most prized posessions lie around unattended-“  
“You broke into my DuelCask.”  
It was a statement, not a question, and the elder Jounouchi drew back as if struck. Gripping the shirt above his heart, he gasped in mock indignation:  
“How can you even think I would do something this -immoral? I was merely searching for the first aid kit, when my sight fell on the box. Curious as I am, I wanted to get a closer look, but alas, clumsy me, I dropped it on the floor and it broke.”  
He gave an apologetic grin that never reached his eyes.  
“I’m _so_ sorry.”  
Katsuya crossed his arms before his chest.  
“Whatever. I’m not doing it.”  
His father cocked a brow.  
“Are you certain?”  
The blond merely huffed. Jounouchi senior gave a cold smirk.  
“And you’re certain, I can’t make you reconsider you’re decision?” purred his father, as he drew a second card from the backpocket of his jeans.  
Or so Katsuya thought it was.  
His breath caught in his throat, when he got a closer look at the object:  
Shizuka’s picture!  
The one he had taken right after Battle City!  
Shaken to the core, Katsuya stared at the brilliant smile and sparkling eyes of his imotou banned on the glossy surface, his father’s snarl gnawing itself into his conciousness.  
“Six o’clock. The Matsuoka Building down Kaikoroku Road. Don’t be late.”

Katsuya sighed.  
“You can’t imagine, how I felt -my own father had blackmailed me into taking his job! And he didn’t even shy from using what he knew were my most precious belongings, just to reach his goal. I-I can’t remember if I was disappointed or sad or..all I felt was this boiling rage inside me, this anger…I felt like walking in a blood-red haze; nothing made sense and all I wanted to do was to destroy someone or something. And Seto just- happened to get in my way.”  
He shot a cautious glance to his husband, who replied with a grim nod.  
Katsuya swallowed hard, then locked eyes with Mokuba.  
“Last chance to drop out. This is where it gets ugly.”  
The dark-haired teen gulped, then rasped:  
“I-I can take it.”

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  
As far as I'm concerned, this is probably one of the most bitter chapters of the entire story; break-ups, rape and death scene included. Somehow the amount of betrayal, though seemingly miniscule, is made all that more staggering by the fact that it's coming from a quasi-expected side.


	19. Full circle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well then, my dears, we are back where this story began, as the title says. A dash more detail and painful memories, before we can finally move along with the story.

71\. _Full circle_

Hatred.  
There was nothing else left.  
It filled his entire being, poisoned his mind, raced with every beat of his heart further through his mind and oozed from every single pore of his body.  
Even his friends, most of all Honda, shied away from him but he couldn’t care less.  
All through school, everywhere he went, pupils and teachers alike stepped aside when they saw him approach, the burning rage within surrounding him like a cloak made out of pure darkness.  
“Ja, what’s the matter? Did the puppy lose his bone?”  
A grating noise pierced through his haze, but he chose to ignore it.  
His father was going to pay for what he had done!

Sitting through calculus was almost too much to bear for Jou.  
He pressed the pencil with such force upon the pages, the paper more than once broke and tore.  
The teacher gave him several annoyed glances, but decided not to comment on the topic.  
Her words would have fallen on deaf ears, anyway.  
Far too caught up in his rage and thoughts of revenge, Jounouchi had successfully managed to tune out the entire world, save for one single person:  
Kaiba Seto.

The brunet, not used to seeing the blond seeth quietly over such an extended period of time, couldn’t help his curiousity.  
Again and again, he verbally attacked his schoolmate; sending off-handed comments, gentle stabs or painful insults towards Jou, checking for his reactions –or lack thereoff.  
It fascinated him, in a sick, sordid way, to find out how far he could push Jounouchi, until this one lashed out.  
Or broke.  
Kaiba felt a twisted thrill at this game, in many ways it reminded him of prodding a caged tiger with a stick.  
The CEO would come to learn in the most painful of ways, that the lock to the beast’s prison had been breached.

Not today, not ever again.  
Jounouchi glared a the faded white-ish tiles before him, as he pulled down the zipper and relieved himself.  
He was sick and tired of being pushed and cheated and used and abused and-  
“My, my, what do we have there? Well, considering your size, it’s natural that your brain cells lack the needed bloo-“  
His hand moved before he even realized it; and the solid thud let Jounouchi know that he had, if not broken, at least seriously bruised Kaiba’s jaw and temple.  
The release, which followed this conclusion, triggered a bloodlust unlike any he had ever known.  
Old, long buried habits rearose as his body took control and followed supressed patterns.  
He could sense Kaiba’s confusion and pain and it gave him a rush of power, knowing that he had his arch-rival at a disadvantage.  
Somewehere in the back of his head a voice began to shout at him, that he was about to break the vow, his word, the promise he gave Hiroto, but Jou was too far gone to stop.

Slamming the door of the cabin he had practically thrown Kaiba into shut behind him, Jou grabbed the CEO and rammed the brunet’s face against the dirty wall before hurling him back against the stained wood. Deft fingers tried and opened the brunet’s belt and zipper, Jou’s other hand entangled in this one’s silky strands.  
The limb swiftly moved and obstructed Kaiba’s airpipe, when the other teen began to struggle and defend himself; the blond rained a dozen or so quick, sharp blows on every exposed weak point he could detect, even as Kaiba’s pants and boxers ceased their duty and left him standing there, naked and vulnerable.  
Jounouchi could feel his blood pumping through his veins, like rivers of liquid fire, and taste the fear and loathing of the taller boy, as he slickened one finger with spit and pushed it into Kaiba’s most intimate opening with little care.  
The blond growled out his hatred for Kaiba, taking his revenge in blood, never paying heed to his rival’s plea for merci, as he forced himself into the tight orifice and began pumping in and out like a madman.  
The CEO screamed in agony and defeat, as Jou drove into him again and again. It made the shorter one feel strong, invulnerable, dominant, just like-  
‘Now you’re just like your father', whispered the little voice in the back of his head. But he was too far gone, pushing too hard, to stop now.  
“Why..why are you doing this to me?”  
Kaiba’s voice was but a sob, and Jou choked on his words; tears burning in the corners of his eyes. He rested his forehead on the cotton-clad shoulder before him and rasped:  
“Why..why do you make me do it?”

He would never know, if he spoke to Kaiba or himself; but something inside his heart clenched and twisted, as he kept on assaulting the brunet over and over.  
And then he came, and the triumph was so overwhelming in its tragedy, that Jou almost lost his mind.  
For a few precious seconds he stood there behind, inside his victim, grasping with all he could still call himself onto the verge of sanity and clawing his way back out of the pit of madness.  
The red curtain fell from his eyes and he pulled out of Kaiba as if burned.  
Tucking his still leaking penis back into his pants, he watched the CEO cower on the floor in a heap. A bitter taste turned Jou’s mouth putrid, and for a second he felt that terrible, dark side of himself again, roaring out its victory and need.  
A deep, twisted, foul desire for Kaiba’s body overwhelmed him and he almost took a flying leap out of the cabin, snarling:  
“Final warning: don’t ever come near me again.”  
With that, he all but ran from the washroom and into the next empty classroom he could find.  
There, he bowed over the sink and threw up everything he had eaten the past two days.  
Finally, after what seemed like ages but had barely been two minutes, his stomach was as empty as his heart full.  
Guilt, shame, anger, remorse, nausea, self-hatred, loss…  
Jounouchi huddled in a corner of the abandoned classroom, wrapped his arms around himself and cried.  
He had run away from his gang, his times on the street, but the time for running was over.  
Because there was nowhere Katsuya could run from himself.

The tiles were cold, but nowhere as cold as Kaiba’s fingers.  
Dazedly, he stared at the toilet bowl, tears meandering over his pale, bruised cheeks to collect beneath his left jaw and seep into the collar.  
His whole budy hurt, except for his bottom, which was mercifully numb.  
He could fell the blood caking up, the semen of his nemesis drying on his buttocks, but it only dimly registered in Kaiba’s brain.  
After all this time, after finally having gotten rid of his abusive, tyrrant stepfather, it had happened to him again?  
And none other than the mutt had been his rapist.  
The scuffling sound of footsteps drew closer, lingered before the main door, and the brunet decided to at least get into an upright position.  
However, easier said than done, his body refused to follow his orders and it was by sheer will Kaiba finally managed to get himself into a sitting position.  
That was when he finally noticed the amount of blood beneath him, and then the pain kicked in.  
He had to bite his own hand safe he just threw his head back and wailed like a damned soul, tears flowing freely and amply, as the brunet rocked back and forth.  
At some point, the hurt ebbed off and he was…emtpy.  
Not relieved, not cautious, panicked or vengeful, just empty.  
Kaiba decided then and there that he would never ever forgive Jounouchi what he had done to him.  
Even if hell froze over or the blond gave his life for him, it did not matter to him anymore.  
Kaiba Seto had banished all remnant traces of mercy and forgiveness from his heart and mind.  
Forever.

“And..have you ever forgiven him?” breathed Mokuba; his mind still swirling with the revelation, tears pricking slate-blue orbs.  
Seto’s own azure eyes narrowed ever so slightly.  
“No.”  
“No?”  
“No, I have not forgiven Katsuya for what he has done. I can not forgive him. Not as long as he has not forgiven himself.”  
He gazed at his husband, who had turned to look out the window, hiding his face from the two brothers.  
Minutes ticked by in silence, then Katsuya mumbled:  
“How can I forgive myself for hurting the person I love the most? Never mind if it happened before I found you to be my perfect match, my soulmate-“  
He shook his head vividly, as if waking from a bad dream.  
“I crossed a line and broke a vow –my vow –to never resort to such..methods again. And yet, just because I was too much of a coward to step up to my father, I went and lashed out at Seto…”  
Turning and stepping closer, he drove one calloused hand gently, adoringly over the brunet’s cheek, wiping a stray lash away and letting the warmth seep into his skin.  
“Aibou, the one thing greater than your mind his your heart, and I love both of them.”  
Katsuya leaned down, kissed the CEO’s eyelids, temples and brow, whispering:  
“How can I ever forgive myself for hurting the one person who is most precious to me? How can I ask forgiveness when I have comitted such a crime, such suffer-“  
Seto took the hand resting on his face and buried a chaste kiss in its palm, before locking eyes with his husband.  
“Because without it, we would not be here. Without your –trespassing, we would have never get to know and love each other. And I would have become the cold, embittered, lonely man-machine people used to take me for. Without that crime, I would have never learned to look deeper..or to love you.”  
Katsuya’s breath hitched, and Seto pulled him closer ever so nicely.  
“Let go, Katsuya. If not for yourself, then for me. If you love me as much as you say, put it behind you. I know I have.”  
Everything around them ceased to exist, as Jou fought to escape the dephts of guilt, remorse and self-hatred. Mute, choked sobs bubbled deep within his chest, golden eyes wide and tear-brimmed.  
Seto smiled; a tender, soft smile that made his eyes sparkle like sunlight caught on the ocean waves that broke the remaining treshold of Katsuya’s heart.  
“Onegai, Katsu-chan. Let go. For me.”  
And he did.  
Sinking into his husband’s embrace, one Jounouchi Katsuya finally closed the last page on the dark chapter that used to be his past and was ready to face the future without any lingering doubts.  
The large pinewood doors closed discreetly behind him, as Mokuba left the couple to welcome their second spring.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
It just occured to me; Mokuba does that rather often in this story. Closing the door behing him to allow his brother and giri no ani some privacy. Hmm, I wonder what that says about anything...


	20. Pulling tight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A collection of various vignettes taken from the everyday, not-so-mundane life of the Kaiba-Jounouchi household and their entourage.  
> In all honesty, I am not certain if people out there really gravitate to this story; I have yet to receive any reactions- good or bad -if and how well this tale is received.

72. _Pulling tight_

“Katsuya?” ”Hai?” “What is this?”  
“Dinner.-“You’re having dinner in the furo?”  
“Hai.” Why?” “It’s..savoir vivre.”

“Attention, here comes the blowfish!” “Ara, imoto, that’s not true.” “Sure it is, look at my belly!”  
“So desu, but you’re nowhere as bloated or toxic as a fugu!” “Wait till her blood sugar’s running low” “...aiboouu..!”  
“Kami, me and my big mouth..” ”Ja, well, not helping you out there, giri no ani.”

“Seto?” “Hai?” Why are we eating this?”  
“Because it's here.” “No, seriously, why are we eating this?”  
“It is healthy, you know.” “...” “...” “...”  
“You pissed off the chef again, ne?” “He'll be back first thing in the morning.”

“You're marrying Mai.” ”Yup.” ”Kujaku Mai.” “The one an only.”  
“...did she blackmail you?” “..I'd be more polite, if I were you, when reffering to my wife.”  
“Gomen. Well, good luck.” “Thank you. So, you're coming to the wedding?”  
“....Only if I can't avoid it.” “Chotto, ne!”

“You can't be serious!” “Trust me Jounouchi-san, it is the best way.”  
“This is ridiculous!” “Same as the amount we pay you.” “And how will I get past security?”  
“Well, that's where the surgery comes in.” “MO ITTE?!?”

„Mokuba.“ „Hai?“ „Mokuba.“ “Hnn?“„Mo.Ku.Ba.“ „Such is my name, o-nii-sama.“  
„The police just called.“ „..so desu, ne?“ „....“ „Is there anything you would like to tell me?“  
„About what, in particular?“ „ A certain..incident concerning a trashed youth joint, the place's completely wiped-out security footage and a couple dozen social network profiles entirely erased from existence?“  
„..I am certain I have no idea what you're talking about, o-nii-san.“ „That's what I told the police.“ „Good.“  
„...“ „Where were you last Friday night?“ „..would it relieve you knowing that I was at Yuugi's getting stoned?“ “...“  
„I also told them to cash in your learner's permit.“ „O-NII-SAAN!!“

„-but we thought we had fixed the problem with the RSI and posture hazard!“ „We did, but now they're trying to get at us with the visual issues and audio-olfactory overload.“ „Are you serious?“ „Hai, and from what-“ “ Yurakucho! Jounouchi found a way around the-“ “I don't care! Right now our issue is with the-“ “Tsuchiya-san! We got it! The temporary implants dissolve in under the expected rate and the biochemical residual within the test persons' systems is well within legal range!“ „Kami-sama be praised! How are we doing on-“

„..You're beautiful.“ „*giggle*Thank you.“ „..do you have to..?“ “Anata, I told you before, I couldn't stay for the month.“ “*sigh*I miss you already.“ “Watashi mou so desu.“ “Please don't go.“ „It's just one more year.“ “Eight months, twenty-one days and a couple of hours, to be exact. When didacting all holidays.“ „...“ “..you really miss me, ne?“ “Only when I'm breathing.“ „Yuugi, I-“ „Dance for me?“ „Eh?“ „Onegai. Just this once. Dance for me. Only me.“ „I always dance for you, Yuugi. Never mind where I am.“

„..so my husband goes 'What do you know about thrust reversers?' and I yelled back 'It was my main subject, remember? I majored in aircraft engineering!'“ „Heh, that must have shut him u-itai!“ „Shizuka, daijoubu ka?“ „Hai, it's just the baby kicking.“ „It's pretty much end of the line, ne?“ „Sou desu, you.“ „How is Hiroto taking it?“ „Better than Gokashiro your technical degree, Yukuri.“ „...“ „He stopped sleeping three weeks ago, ne?“ „Two.“ 

„..Shirimasu.“ „Aibou, I'm sorry.“ „Don't. I was there, remember?“ “I know, but..kami, why is every single governmental institution trying to shoot me down?“ „Heh. Because you're Kaiba Seto?“ „Katsuya, that's not even remotely funny.“ „It wasn't meant to be. Besides, that's also why I married you, ne?“ „*sigh*I wish I could hear you give the announcement speech, but they're pretty strict with media policy during a hearing.“ “So I can't even send you a lifefeed of me dancing naked on the ceiling?“ „..“ „Whilst I have no idea how you would accomplish that, I am pretty certain they would lock the both of us in separate cells, weld down the lock and throw away the key.“ „Ok, no go if they separate us.“ „..it worries me that our potential loss of freedom is of so little concern to you..“ „Hey, as long as I got my little sextoy...“ „I'm hanging up on you now.....happy birthday, Katsu-chan.“ „Arigatou gozaimasu, Seto.“

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Heh, my favourites are the dinner scenes and the exchange between Seto and Mokuba...it's just such a Kaiba-esque thing to do...


	21. Et maintenant?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Again, set your stereo on full blast, 'cause here are _Def Leppard_ with their classic hit _Pour some sugar on me_. And just by that you can guess what this chapter's about, ne? Right. Lemon. Just lemon.  
> For those who aren't fluent in French, the title translates to "And now/What now?" depending on the context.  
> Also, this is the last chapter added on this account; the story will be put on hiatus until further notice.  
> Thanks for reading so far and now..let's get hot and bothered.  
> 

_73\. Et maintenant?_

His husband was insane.  
Seto was profoundly sure of that now.  
What other explanation could there be to the fact that Katsuya came barging into his private office, with no other greeting but a smug smile, placed a CD into the stereo hidden behind the wooden panneling of the wall and set it on full blast?  
Seto gave a small start at the noise level, then scowled and muttered:  
“Katsuya, I know you are eager to..bed me, considering as we haven’t seen each other those past two weeks. And yes, I am very well aware of the fact that we missed your birthday due to your speech, but-“  
His mouth worked, but not a sound escaped his lips, as Seto got a good look at Katsuya- or rather, what appeared to be one of his most private wet dreams come alive: the blond wore a mid-riff, black leather jacket, a worn out white button-down shirt, heavy biker boots and- the tightest, naughtiest and most erotic black leather pants since the invention of sin seemingly painted upon his pefectly shaped legs.  
Katsuya meanwhile had used the only wheelless chair in the room as stool to climb the large desk, and placed one boot-clad foot on the pile of files the CEO was working on.  
His smirk widened ever so slightly, as he gave the neat stack a dismissing kick and sent the pages scattering and flying all about.  
Seto gaped, then shot up from his seat and snapped:  
“Have you lost your mind? Do you have the slightest inkling, how many hours I spent on those contracts? Even if you don’t appear to grasp the importance-“  
In one single, fluid move Katsuya slumped to his knees, fisted the brunet’s hair and ground Seto’s face against his crotch.  
Blue eyes widened incredulous, and Seto gulped.  
Considering how hard the blond’s erection, pressed snug against his cheek, was, the CEO wondered how on earth his spouse was able to walk around in such- confining pants without actually doubling over in pain.  
Or shooting his load on the spot.  
He gave a mute sigh and, gently unbuttoning the fly, rumbled:  
“Fine, but only once, wakarimashita?”  
Katsuya didn’t answer, but merely gave a curt, hoarse grunt, half-lidded eyes hungrily devouring his spouse. He hissed and threw his head back as his cock sprung free, and Seto was quick to lick up the precum rolling down the underside of the hardenend shaft before he let his tongue circle the tip with slow, tantalizing moves.  
Seto had decided that a little punishment was legit, seeing as how the blond had interrupted his work. Gently, playfully he nipped and kissed the engorged member, occasionally taking it into his mouth as far as it would go, only to let it slip out mere moments later and blow a cooling puff over the heated, saliva-coated skin.  
Katsuya, his right hand buried in the brunet’s silky copper tresses, watched the slow, bobbing rhythm of Seto’s head, fighting the urge to simply plunge into the welcoming heat. Long, slender fingers circled his hip and came to rest on his right bottock, squeezing it firmly, before the CEO relaxed his throat and gulped down Katsuya’s member save for a mere inch.  
A low, grumbling snarl, a calloused hand digging into his shoulder and Seto found himself pushed backwards none to gentle.  
Elegantly regaining his balance, the brunet set for a harsh response-  
His husband was looming over him, like a dragon over his prey.  
There was no other way to describe it.  
Standing at his full height, Katsyua glared down at Seto from where he stood on this one’s desk, normally amber eyes almost ebony with desire.  
The CEO couldn’t help the slight shiver running down his spine at the blond’s hard, unreadable expression; in this outfit Katsuya appeared to be the very epitome of masculinity and sexual power.  
And Seto knew in his heart, that his husband was and would be the only one he would ever bow to.  
Sapphire held blackened gold, and then Katsuya gave a dark, superior smirk.  
In the blink of an eye, he had lowered himself to Seto’s level and fisted the brunet’s mane anew, kissing him hard, almost brutally so. His left hand gripped the white silk collar of Seto’s shirt tightly, pulling, tearing and finally simply ripping the expensive cloth off the muscular body beneath. Seto wanted to protest, but Katsuya was faster.  
A surprised, pained roar came from the CEO, as the blond’s teeth dug into his collarbone and left a clearly visible bitemark.  
Ok, enough was enough, decided the brunet, as Katsuya lapped soothingly at the superficial wound. He tried to wriggle out of the embrace, but the blond had other ideas. A crazed glint in those golden eyes, a few quick wraps and Seto found his arms bound effectively to his back with his own shirt.  
He gave an exhausted sigh and cocked one perfect brow, as his husband slid from the desk.  
“Very funny. In case you failed to not-mmphh!”  
Katsuya had silenced him with another kiss and simultaneously wrestled him onto the polished wood. Seto struggled to get free, whatever amusement he had felt before giving way to anger and annoyance.  
“Let go of me, you sex-crazed lunatic! Or I swear, you won’t get any until my next birthday!” threatened the brunet, trying for a half-hearted roundhouse kick to the blond’s jaw. Katsuya merely laughed good-heartedly, as he easily blocked the kick and began to undo the CEO’s belt and zipper, never caring about this one’s flailing limbs and protests.  
With a snarl, Seto pushed himself backward and twisted around at the same time, in a futile attempt to escape-RRIIIIIIIIPPP!  
‘Nice move, imbecile,’ he thought, as his pants ceased their service and remained in Katsuya’s eager hands. The brunet had to fight the blush creeping up his neck, when he imagined, what picture he made:  
Bound with is own shirt, his boxers dangling somewhere below his knees and his torn pants crumpled around his ankles, his nose practically ground into the surface of the desk and his rear sticking up in the air…  
‘Only thing that misses is the ‘vacancy’ light ad’, he mused bitterly, then had to smile at the irony. Why on earth did he try to get away from this situation, when it was actually one of his basest fantasies? Seto sighed; despite it being anything and everything and far more than he had imagined, the timing was wrong; if he didn’t get those papers done-  
Katsuya separated his rear cheeks and then his tongue began to do wonderful, forbidden things to the CEO’s most intimate opening. Seto tried to crawl away, but gave up when he felt the pointed muscle move inside his channel, literally eating him out.  
The cold hardness of the wood beneath pressing against his erect manhood, the blond’s hot breath tickling up his spine, saliva dribbling down his balls and collecting in a puddle beneath his groin…  
“Gods, Katsuya!”  
A purr of consent, and then the brunet was flipped over, his seemingly endless legs placed on the blond’s shoulder, who aimed, gave him a sly wink- and pushed in without warning.  
Blue eyes widened in direct proportional dimensions to his rectum, and Seto gasped when he felt a rod of blinding white pain race up his back.  
Katsuya lay on top of him, resting his weight on his hands, deep, mute pants escaping his mouth which was opened in a half-grin.  
As sudden as it had appeared, all mirth dropped from his face as he lowered himself and began to kiss Seto’s jawline, cheek and then pressed his lips upon his husband’s; his tongue demanding entrance.  
The brunet, still trying to will away the pain in his lower regions, barely fought for dominance, and Katsuya took his sweet time mapping every single corner within the moist orifice. Finally, he decided to draw away for some much needed oxygen, and his golden orbs sought out the CEO’s deep azure ones.  
Searching Seto’s face for the slightest hint of discomfort, Katsuya was rewared with a small, encouraging nod. Again, the same, intimidating smirk graced the blond’s full lips; he took hold of the brunet’s narrow hips and began to wedge himself deeper into this one’s tight heat.  
He gulped for air, as he felt his ass being lifted every so slightly from the desk for better leverage- and hissed, when Katsuya gave one hard, cruel shove.  
Obviously Katsuya had taken a liking to causing him pain, decided Seto, and couldn’t help but shiver at the possibilities his husband’s perverted mind might come up with.  
The grin had found its way back on Katsuya’s face, who nipped and nibbled at the CEO’s suspended ankles, then began thrusting his hips in a quick, fluid rhythm.  
Seto moaned; each shove hit his sweet spot dead on; he was literally being fucked senseless and couldn’t do much about it, bound and tied as he was.  
He was entirely helpless, and for the first time in his life, Seto found himself not only entirerly unbothered by this, but actually relishing the feeling of being at Katsuya’s mercy.  
Because he knew, with every firbe of his being, that with this seemingly demeaning act, Katsuya took away the burden of responsibility and control weighing him down, and gave him, what he craved most:  
The freedom of being himself with all his faults, desires, hopes, doubts, dreams, fears, longings and weaknesses.  
There was no shame, no inhibitions, no conveniences, no rules, no uncertainities, no hesitations and no limits.  
Here, there was only the two of them; their souls entwined in this one single moment in time ast hey raced for completion and found it in each other’s fulfillment.  
Seto roared like the dragon he was often compared with as he orgasmed; his seed splattering across his chest and stomach and leaving stains on Katsuya’s jacket and shirt.  
The growl, with which the blond released himself within him was like a darker, more sinsiter echo of his own cry; like thunder following lightning.  
Pants, sobs, kisses and moans; though inarticulate, the couple communicated on a level that was both so primitive and yet so advanced, that it did not require any words made by man.  
Gently, Katsuya slipped out of his love’s body and slid right back in, watching in fascinaton how every lazy, tired shove caused his semen to be forced out Seto’s entrance and trickle down his reawakening manhood.  
Swollen lips moved, mute adorations silenced by the beauty of the sight, as Katsuya kept his eyes firmly locked on the display between Seto’s legs. Who in turn gazed in loving amazement at the feelings racing across the blond’s face.  
Katsuya shuddered once, hard, as he came once more, then bowed and rested his forehead on Seto’s collarbone. The brunet would have given his left hand to hold the blond at that very moment, but seeing how he was still bound, this proved to be an impossibility.  
Obviously, Katsuya had come to the same conclusion, for he rose his head and, giving the CEO a tender, if not exhausted smile, made short process of the make-shift handcuffs. Pulling Seto towards him, he had the brunet wrap his legs around his hips and carried him to their bedroom, where he placed the brunet on the comforter and rushed into the bathroom. Seto had barely begun to massage his somewhat numb wrists, when Katsuya already returned with a bucket and a washcloth as well as a towel.  
Not letting the brunet even so much as touch the items, the blond then went to thourougly cleaning his spouse, inbetween raining random nips and kisses on this one’s body.  
Once Seto was cleaned to his liking, Katsuya wordlessly shooed him under the blankets then went to wash himself just as acribicly before returning to his waiting husband.  
Seto felt a comfortable tiredness wash over him as he held the blankets up for Katsuya to climb in, deciding that those contracts had not been that important, really.  
If need be, he could still have his husband help him tomorrow.  
As they cuddled up next to each other, Katsuya finally spoke for the first time that evening:  
“Did you know you that you talk in your sleep?”

__°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
And that's all she wrote. I will discontinue the story on this account for the moment, since it appears to be scaring off people due to its length or lack of je-ne-sais-quoi. For further chapters, please visit my account over at aff.net, arigatou_ _


	22. Sleep, my dear, and do not worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *cough* I considered gradually updating this series here -again, depending on how well it's received. This chapter here..is a tad different. Ask all our mothers.

_74\. Sleep, my dear, and do not worry_

“Wh’ the fuck-?” mumbled Jou, peeling his face from where it rested somewhere beneath Seto’s armpit and blinked confusedly at the wake-up on his nightstand.  
The wake-up reading 01.34 am.  
Cursing, the blond scrambled out of bed, trying not to disturb his husband’s rest and stalked over to the ringing phone which had woken him from his fitfull slumber.  
“This had better be important, or you’re so dea-“  
“Jou, oh, gods, it’s coming, it’s coming! I-she-and then-wait, the suitcase, and we’re down to-no, no, you just leave it to me, koibito, I got everything under contro-of course I’m calm, I’m the citp-picture of calm-“  
Rubbing his temple in order to fight the rising migraine, Katsuya snapped:  
“Honda!”  
“Eight minutes!”  
That made perfect sense. Not.  
Scowling, Katsuya bellowed:  
“Honda! Focus! What eight minutes are you on about, and why are you call-“  
“Shizuka broke her water and the contraptions are coming in rythms of eight minutes! The baby’s coming, Jou!”  
Instantly, the blond was wide awake and in charge.  
“Ok, Hiroto, I need you to concentrate. Where’s Shizuka now and how is she doing?”  
“Uhh, on the couch, waiting for the cab and counting.”  
“Cab?!?” roared his giri no ani incredulous.  
“Why didn’t you call an ambulance? Or her doctor?”  
There was a short pause, then Hiroto’s relieved:  
“Hey, that’s a great idea! I knew I did the right thing calling you!”  
Tone.  
He blinked once, twice.  
Then Katsuya slammed the reciever back on its hold and let out a string of curses that startled his outto from his sleep.  
“-fucking son-of-a-bitch to hang up on me!” fumed Katsuya, as he shrugged on his briefs and jeans before donning a shirt and searching for his jacket.  
“Who’s hung up?” yawned Seto, watching the blond fish for his socks and shoes.  
“Honda did. Shizuka went into labour and the damn baka just about forgot everything they taught him in maternity training. I’d better go to the rescue!”  
“I’m coming with you”, stated the CEO and, before Katsuya could protest, added:  
“Koi, I love you with all my heart, but to be blunt -yer drivin’ ain’t worth shit.”  
Katsuya gaped at the perfect imitation the grinning brunet had made from his long-forgotten slang, then snapped his mouth closed and gave a grim nod.  
“Three minutes. Or I’m leaving without you.”

They had arrived just in time to escort Shizuka, who lay on a stretcher, to the labour room and were now waiting in the hall for the outcome.  
Honda had been in before, but caused too much of a ruckus and so the obstetrician had thrown him out.  
Now the brunet was seated next to his brother-in-law and the president of Kaiba Corp, fidgeting and tapping his feet.  
Every so often he would shoot up and start prancing up and down the waiting area, annoying the hell out of everybody present.  
“Honda, take a bloody mess off your feet and sit down for kami’s sake! You’re driving me nuts!” snarled his best friend, as he pulled him down on one of the chairs.  
“I can’t!” yammered the soon-to-be-father,  
“I mean, this is the first time, and Shizuka’s so-so-fragile and soft and -oh gods, what if something happens to her or our baby? What if something goes wrong? I couldn’t bear losing either of them! They’re-she-they’re too important to me, Katsuya! I-I think I would die if-if..”  
He trailed off, rubbing his hands over his face, messing up his already dishelved hair and finally rested his elbows on his knees.

Shizuka, now Honda Jounouchi Kawai-san, had lead a rather sheltered life.  
Unlike her ani, pain was not something she was accostumed to.  
Even when her eyes had begun to fade, after the surgery or during the recovery she had rarely felt anything more than dull aches and tightness.  
Thus said, nothing could have prepared for the agony of childbirth.  
If she had thought, pregnancy was a painful experience, she had not known the first thing about torment.  
Naturally, as every other modern woman she had read and researched and asked and watched everything she could about delivering a baby, but when the time came, no words conveyed by man could ever even come close to what she was feeling right now.  
All her inner organs had shifted; being pressed up and behind, as the unborn child tried to pass through her cervix to little avail.  
She couldn't tell if she had been here for hours or days; her entire world consisted of pushing, breathing, relaxing, pushing, every so often taking a sip of the proffered water, then pushing again and pain.  
Everything was pain; starting from below her navel down her vagina, up her crevasse, throughout her spine, making her head spin and throb and her heart flutter and her muscles spasm and clench and sweat...  
A cry was torn from her lips, as her baby shuffled yet another few inches downwards, expanding her channel.  
The obstetrician, too weathered to not know that giving birth was an everything goes each and every single time, checked Shizuka's stats as well as the baby's heartbeat.  
So far, everything seemed normal, though he contemplated wether or not Shizuka's pelvis was broad enough to give birth in a regular way.  
Yet, not willing to give up on what looked like a promising delivery, he urged the brunette on,  
"Jaaa, that's it, Honda-sa, you're doing great, just keep push-"  
"Iee! Dame desu! No more, I can't anymore! I can't! _Yameroooo_!"  
screamed Shizuka at the top of her lungs, not caring that her voice carried throughout the maternity ward and past the closed door to reach the ears of her husband and family.  
The three men paled at the desperate shriek, then Katsuya instinctly latched onto his giri no ani.  
“Oh gods, I need to get in there! Shizuka! Shizuka!” yelled Honda, fighting against the death grip Katsuya had on him, trying to break free and save his obviously hurting tsuma.  
Just as he was about to slip from the blond’s hold, Seto decided he had had enough and, rising from where he sat, casually walked over and tapped two fingers lightly against the about-to-be-father’s left shoulder.  
Hiroto went limp in his giri no ani’s arms, slumping down in his chair like a bag of bones.  
Huffing, the blond demanded:  
“Why didn’t you think of that from the beginning? You could have spared us all a world of grief.”  
Seto shrugged tiredly.  
“It must have slipped my mind. Besides, it’s only going to last an hour or so, if at all.”  
Katsuya was about to give his outto a piece of his own mind, when the door to the scrub room opened and out came Shizuka’s obstetrician, a wary look on his face.  
The couple felt every single hair on the back of their necks stand up straight, when the doctor approached them.  
“We are experiencing...complications” confessed the surgeon, and Seto froze to the bone.  
‘It’s happening all over again’ he thought, and suddenly, he was five years old again.  
His father stood next to him, fear and hope evident on his normally regal features, listening to the doctor saying those very same words the night Mokuba was born and their mother died.  
“-lications?”  
Jou’s request brought the brunet back to reality.  
The blond exchanged looks with his spouse and frowned, when he noticed Seto’s unnatural paleness and unsteady pose.  
Confusion immediately gave way to saddened understanding; leaning over, he hushed into the brunet’s ear:  
“It’s ok, Seto, I can handle this myself. You go home and get some rest. I’m glad you accompanied me, though you didn’t need to-“  
“No, no, it’s ok. I-I can do this” muttered Seto, more to himself than his husband.  
Tilting his head, Katsuya gave him a suspicious look.  
“You sure?”  
Seto took a deep breath.  
“Hai. Now, what kind of..complications were you reffering to, sensei?”  
The blond smirked; surely, Kaiba Seto was back in control.  
Sighing, the sensei explained:  
“Well, her birth channel is, though widened, too small for the baby’s head. I’m afraid we will need to cut.”  
Katsuya scowled, knowing Shizuka’s fright of needles and sharp, pointy objects in general and her dislike for scars in particular.  
“But they’re going to be okay, ne? Her and the baby?”  
“Most certainly, do not fear Jounouchi-san, this is a rather regular happening-“  
“Sensei! Isoide kudasai!” yelled the nurse from inside the scrub room, and the doctor hastily excused himself, as he followed through and shut the door behind him.

Shizuka was propped up on her elbows, her legs, which had been suspended by the halterings, were now resting on the bed, spread wide.  
The obstretician gave one glance at her expanded vagina, then asked:  
“Nani? What happened here?”  
“We’re not quite sure,” replied the assistant, “ it’s as if she heard or saw something and suddenly she just decided to give it another try.”  
Giving a backward look at the door and the hall behind it, sensei approached and probed his fingers gently around the soon-to-be-born’s crown, testing for any anomalities or endangering positions.  
Not finding any, he gave an approving nod to his team, then adressed Shizuka:  
“Ok, Honda-san, I think we can do this without actual surgery. I want you to push as hard as you can, and you’ll see it will be over before you even know it.”  
Eyes narrowed, the sweat-soaked woman complained:  
“That’s..what you said-the time before. And–the one..before that.”  
Giving his most reassuring grin, the doctor nodded:  
“Hai, but this time it’s true!”  
Shizuka glared daggers at him, then surprised everybody, including herself, as she fell out of character and spat:  
“Fuck you, that’s not funny!”  
Used to such outbursts, sensei only gave a wry smirk and stated:  
“I doubt, your husband would be too pleased if I took you up on that offer, Honda-san.”  
For a second, Shizuka paused in her actions, then laughed when she heard the snickers sounding through the room.  
“Wa-wakarimashita. Ok, I-I think I can-do this.”  
“That’s the spirit! Now breathe and push!”  
“Nnnh!”  
“Push! I can already feel one shoulder!”  
“Oh gods!”  
“Push! Once more, we’re almost there!”  
“Kami, I-!”  
“Pushi, Honda-san, push!”  
Honda-san…the name stirred something deep inside her heart and mind.  
She was Honda Shizuka now, Hiroto’s betrothed wife, and at the same time, Kawaii Jounouchi Shizuka, Katsuya’s younger sister. If there was one thing the two most important men in her life had in common, it was their dedication and unwavering love for her.  
She would not let either one down, leave alone her baby.  
A determinded smile grazed her full lips, as Shizuka summoned all her strength-  
“Oh-gooods!”  
“Just a little more, one more time, come on!”  
“I-I-kami, Hiroooooooooooooooooooo!”

The pain-filled wail drifted through the closed door and reached the brunet’s ear, jerking this one wide awake.  
“Shizuka! ‘Zuka-chan, I’m coming!” roared Hiroto and, twisting out of Katsuya’s loosened hold with surprising strength, stormed through the door - just in time to hear his baby’s first cry.  
Everybody stared at the man standing in the entry, then the obstetrician cleared his throat and beamed:  
“Congratulations, Honda-san, it’s a girl!”  
It was just a little too much for poor Hiroto.  
Sinking to his knees, he tried to make sense of all the happenings around him; the nurses washing his crying and smiling wife and firstborn, sensei giving instructions, the sounds, smells…  
All of a sudden, he was forcibly hefted to his feet and a small, weeping bundle carefully placed into his arms.  
Gazing down, he took in the newborn’s closed eyes, unconciously flexing fingers and quiet, smacking noises.  
“Say hello to your daughter, Hiroto”, came Katsuya’s soft voice from somewhere behind him, and he smiled.  
“She’s so tiny, so beautiful…just like her mother.”  
The smile widened, accented by happy tears, as he whispered:  
“Youku irasshaimashita…Hitomi.”  
Looking up, he gave Shizuka a questioning glance.  
“If-if that’s alright with you?”  
His wife’s answer consisted of opening her arms invitingly, wanting to embrace her little family.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
*giggle* I just so much wanted to hear Shizuka drop an F-bomb, and this just seemed like the perfect setting. Don't worry, though, she'll be back to well-behaved and normal soon enough. Also, this is the first time I had Seto use the quasi Vulcan nerve grip ever. It's just so him.


	23. Insinuated gamble

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was one of these crucial chapters which eluded for years. A couple plot points, a little fighting, a rather long chapter.   
> ~* stands for past events

_75\. Insinuated gamble_

„Sit!“  
„What-“  
„Sit!“  
„Honey, I-“  
„Sit. Down!“ roared the blond.   
Kaiba Seto was not one to be easily intimidated.  
If anything, _he_ was the very picture of intimidation.  
Yet, when faced with his ottou's blazing eyes, heaving chest, furious glare and ill-contained rage, which snapped and twisted and whirled around him like wisps of crackling heat and liquid fire, he knew better than to not oblige.  
It was not the worry that Katsuya might be switching rooms if they couldn't settle their arguement, or he would 'put him on hold'(the thought alone made Seto's cock twitch in despair), but the fact that Seto was really, truly afraid of his husband, when he was in this state of mind.  
He had only seen it three times, so far: the first time in high school(for which he was ultimately grateful, since it had lead up to them falling in love), the second time when Katsuya's father's case had been reopened(the punching bag had to be replaced twice, afterwards), and a couple of months prior, when some dimwitted ex-Kaiba Corp employees-turned-rivaling-company's-lackeys had ambushed them one night at their private helilaunch.

~*  
Katsuya heads for the restroom, as they walk towards their limo, even as the ground crew takes the chopper through stand-by maintenance. Someone shouts an order; Seto glances over his shoulder...  
A flash of lightning, as the grenade goes off; a salve fom a machine gun and Seto's right leg gives out.  
He tumbles, seeing Isono and his three bodyguards hit the ground none too gently, mere shilouettes, papercut figurines piercing the glaring brightness rendering his eyes almost useless.  
Mokuba is the last man standing; his self-defence training kicking in despite not being able to see clearly.  
They rush him- five in total- and Mokuba gives back in kind, not caring what or who he hits.  
And suddenly, a pained cry; mace stinging is already over-sensitive eyes. Yet, he recovers fast and deals out another punch -and his arm gets caught.  
He growls -and gets his arm twisted until the bone snaps.   
Mokuba yelps in pain -and is echoed by a roar of truculency.  
Katsuya, a bird of prey, a beast of vengeance, is airborne; like the sphinx of legends he hurls himself at his enemies and smashes his fist into the face of Mokuba's captor.  
Bone breaks and cartilge bends; the nemesis drops like a bag of rocks.  
A flurry of red as the teen is being pushed to land upon his ani's semi-prone body, the blond using his momentum to connect his heel with the temple of the second attacker.  
Two out, the other three trying to salvage what they can, but by now two of the bodyguards as well as Seto have recovered enough to tilt the struggle in their favour.  
But it is of little consequence, for the blond has turned the battlefield into his very own killing grounds; his punches are hard, the kicks devastating, his stabs almost pin-point accurate.  
Blood stains his white shirt, but little of it is his.  
There his a tear in his black dress pants, but the knife goes flying uselessly across the scene.  
His hair, a curtain of golden whisps, creates diversion and adds an eerie elegance to the encounter.  
Darker stains on his red jacket; its fluttering motions making the fight look almost festive; a macabre dance of carnage and wrath conducted by a being driven by possessiveness and vengeance.  
And Seto sobs mutely, knowing that this beautous, terrifying, sanguinary creature is his and his alone to command and love, for he is its given master and mate .  
Everything wraps up quickly after this; in under two hours Isono and one of the bodyguards are in surgery; the others, already going through sedation, are waiting for the next scrub room of the Kaiba Corp clinic to clear.  
Mokuba's broken arm is almost textbook basic; the fracture a simple, clean split which doesn't even require a cast. His eyes are rinsed and patched to avoid residual damage.  
Seto scowls, as the bullet slips out his calve with little resistance; he despises scars but is happy the wounding is comparably minimal.  
And Katsuya merely stands there, overseeing his family's treatments, a dirty, bloodied, wounded, wary sentry who's eyes never leave the kyoudai out of his sight.  
Kaiba Corp security are handling their attackers.   
Gloves off.~*

„What were you thinking?“  
Snapped back into the present, Seto found his husband deep within his personal space. He swallowed, trying to fight the lust sparking at how delectably depraved the blond looked, anger still rolling through his veins and darkening the golden eyes, blond mane curtaining his shoulders and framing the hard set of his jaw.  
„Don't even think you can fuck your way out of this one, sweetie“, drawled the blond in a grumbling whisper.  
The thought _had_ crossed Seto's head(no, the _other_ head), but he was self-preservative enough to lay low.  
Clearing his throat, he said,  
„Gomen, aibou, I know I should have asked you-“  
Being grabbed by his lapels, pulled out of his chair to be slammed back-down on the table and half-ways straddled by Katsuya was one thing.  
He huffed to catch his breath, the blond still clutching his shirt.  
For a while, they remained like this; silent, mute dialog passing between them, then Katsuya rasped,  
„Honto de? _Ishimizu_ Incorprated? Of all the companies who build bulk custom polarizers, you had to go with them? Are you even reading the papers anymore, Seto? Do we have to go through this again?“  
Sighing, the CEO replied,  
„I know they got a lot of bad press and an even worse reputation, but their products are flawless, so far. Besides, it's not as if-“  
„Seto. One of their main shareholders is Tsukuba Eito. Name ring a bell?“  
Frowning, the brunet stated,  
„Tsukuba Eito; age 59, younger brother of Tsukuba Kiyoshi, age 62; former vice-president and founding member of the recently abolished GuntaiEnterprises.“  
Jou stared at him for a moment, then dropped and shook his head.  
„You are a control freak, Seto. And don't even get me started on keeping your enemies closer. This is...“  
„Wrong. I know. That's why I didn't say anything to you or Mokuba.“  
Seto's gaze turned to the ceiling.  
„I -we got a mole. A good one. And they told me, something is going on. Something beyond the numbers and contracts and transfers. Something..personal. And then there's the..district attorney.“  
Katsuya blinked.  
„What's he go to do with anything?“ he frowned.  
His husband scowled.  
„According to him -strictly off-protocol, of course- Tsukuba Eito paid two hundred million Yen bail to have a certain..Kawashiro Yuji set free.“  
„So?“  
Seto gave him an unreadable look.  
„Kawashiro Yuji just so happened to be the former right hand of one of my stepfather's Big Five. Oshita Konosuke, to be precise.“  
All the pent-up anger dissipated from Katsuya, who, straigthening himself, turned and ran a hand through his golden tresses.  
„You've got to be kidding me.“  
Rising from his prone position on the table, Seto readjusted his clothes and replied,  
„Actually, he had almost taken the fall a couple of years prior to me becoming president, but somehow he managed to weasle out of the embezzlement charge. Needless to say, with the Big Five gone, so was the protective hand covering his transgressions.“  
Katsuya crossed his arms in front of his chest.  
“You could have just told us so.“  
Seto shook his head.  
„Ie, hayasugiru°. Nothing's confirmed, everything's just rumours and hear-say.“  
The stood quietly for a moment, leaning against the table. Finally, Katsuya broke the silence.  
„Ja, where's Kawashiro now?“  
He knew the answer before Seto opened his mouth, by the way his husband drew a shaky breath.  
„Good question.“

„-on a different note, there had been a riot at Domino Prefectural State Penitantiary. Though no details about the why have been disclosed, the police reported one or several severely wounded inmates. News at Nine.“

“Damn, they really pulled a number on him!“  
„Yeah, too bad. Had a decent mug, too.“  
„Can't really argue with that. Think they'll be able to fix him up?“  
„You serious? Magamoto practically smashed his tray to splinters on his face.“  
„Ja, there goes the rest of his visiting days...“  
„As they were. The guy's on death row.“  
„Shikei? Well, guess that explains why he doesn't give a fuck.“

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
Oshita Konosuke aka Gansely, ex-vice president of KaibaCorp and founder and leader of the notorious Big Five who helped Seto pull the company from underneath Gozaburo's feet. Trouble, much?

°hayasugiru: too early/too quickly


	24. Holding close

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please give a silent thank you to the late _Ben E. King_ , who gifted us with his immortal sweet ballad _Stand by Me_.

_76\. Holding close_

He was beautiful.  
Kaba Seto knew he shouldn't be drooling like some hormon-ridden thirteen year old, but who could fault him?  
The way the long, deep-purple tunic flowed from Katsuya's broad shoulders over his sinewy back and billowed around the lean, strong legs; how the long pool of golden tresses had been brushed and styled until they reflected and rivaled the sunlight...  
Seto sought his husband's eyes among the crowd of students, not paying an iota of attention to what the dean said.  
Eyes, shimmering and glowing and warm like honey and molten amber met his azure ones, and a tiny, almost imperceptible smirk, barely a twitch of his lips, brushed Katsuya's face.  
To anybody else, it would have been meaningless.  
To those closest to him it screamed smugness, knowledge, desire, cockyness, pride, gratitude and dark, forbidden promises.  
Mokuba caught the visual exchange and Seto's 'tell' signs and oh-so-nonchalantly kicked him in the shin.  
The brunet swallowed the pained grunt; Mokuba acted as if he were engrossed in the pamphlet he held and mumbled casualy,  
„Ceremony's not over before two, mostly two thirty. Send the dragons back to sleep.“  
A deep intake of air was the only testimony to the fight Seto had with his blush rising from his otouto telling him to curb his libido.  
Great. His husband had just given him epididymal hypertension in puplic.  
Or, in Jou's words, he got blue-balled by his fukun. 

_When the night has come  
And the land is dark  
And the moon is the only light we'll see  
No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid  
Just as long as you stand, stand by me_

„*Shouri no uta!“ The graduates screemed and bellowed, then broke into one random tune and another.  
Seto smirked, as he watched his husband and their two college friends share beers and sake shots with their fellow students.  
Eventually, the group ran out on traditional songs, so turned to JPop.  
And then anime.  
By the time they reached _Kesenai Tsumi_ , the CEO just about had enough. Plucking his celebrating blond husband out of the knot of caroling and cheering tweens, he brought his lips to Katsuya's ear and whispered,  
„Hachimitsu.“  
Katsuya went rigid. Glancing at Seto, he could practically _hear_ the brunet purr in confirmation.  
„Ja ne, minna-san, I'll catch up with you later!“ he called over his shoulder, almost forcefully dragging the smirking CEO out of the building and into their waiting limo.  
„Ara, Gokasho, where're they off to?“ asked one of the less intoxicated students left behind.  
Gokasho glanced at Yukuri, shared a knowing smile, then answered,  
„His husband is a _very_ busy man, Motoki. And Katsuya-san should not keep him waiting.“

On the backseat, Katsuya reveled in the luxury of having pre-warmed honey and bourbon being licked off his chest and used to lube his erection.

 _So darlin', darlin', stand by me,  
oh now stand by me  
Ooh stand, stand by me, stand by me_

He stepped back from where his diploma hung and grinned proudly.  
"So, a bachelor's degree in advanced animation technology and dynamic holography", cheered Yuugi. Katsuya nodded, still not quite believing he had made it through college alive. And among the best five of his year, too.  
Gokasho had, unsurprisingly though, taken first place and Seto had been swift in making him a job offer. Needless to say, the poor graduate was still slightly in shock knowing that his long-time idol and paragon had personally asked him to work for his company.  
Katsuya chuckled; he had gotten an earful from Yukuri, when her husband had remained in a stupor for two days straight; Seto sure had a way of rendering people immobile even when doing a good deed.  
Yuugi's words drew him back to reality. Turning to his best friend, he muttered,  
"Gomen. Mo itte?"  
The shorter male's eyes glinted.  
"Are you're trying to go for a masters, or..?"  
Katsuya shook his head.  
"Nah, that would take even more time away than work already does. I pushed forward so hard so I could get out of college sooner, so we could spend more time together."  
Yuugi nodded sagely.  
"Soredemo; what if you want something more? Or..well..worst case..you have a -falling out?"  
The blond shook his head anew.  
"Yuugi, I married the love of my life. I would follow him to the ends of the world. If he told me that we're moving to Hawaii, I'd pack my bags right up and wait on the porch. My place is next to Seto, never mind where he goes and what he does."  
Large, amethyst eyes studied him solemnly, then Yuugi muttered,  
"Why? Why are you -pressured to remain close to Seto at all times? I mean, I can relate what with Anzu being in New York, but you-"  
Katsuya's expression halted him, even as the blond pressed his lips firmly together, a flash of pain, of guilt and -fear?- flashing across his features.  
He swallowed, once, twice, then rasped,  
"I-I'm scared, Yuug'. I'm scared that I might lose him if I don't keep watching over him, constantly. Call me a mother hen if you will, but..Seto is a public figure, a larger than life beacon of genius, an uncanny wielder of power and wealth people either covet to or try to destroy. He is constantly under watch, constantly targeted, and it..it terrifies me. The only times I know with certainty he's out of harm's reach are when I'm holding him in my arms in our manor. Next to me, underneath me, making love, ranting about the day and people and work and anything that comes to mind. Those are the times I know he's truly safe. And they are rare and precious inbetween."  
Katsuya studied the floor, his slippers, then Yuugi hushed, in a tear-strained voice,  
"Wakata. Wakarimashita. Honto ni."

Mokuba rushed down the corridor leading to Seto's office. Not bothering to knock, he barrelled through the door, slamming it close, in turn startling the semi-naked couple necking on the large desk out of their passionate thrist.  
„Hrr-get-huh-dressed-,“ the raven-haired teen rasped, sweat dripping from his forehead,  
„we got an emergency.“  
Jou and Seto, who was leaning over the blond sprawled on the wooden surface, straightened. Normally, Mokuba would just turn on his heel whenever he caught them in the act. This behaviour however..  
Buttoning up his shirt after zipping his pants closed, Seto walked over to meet his brother.  
Katsuya, still sporting a rigid erection, crossed his legs and turned his hips away from the kyoudai, not wanting to expose himself to his giri no otoutou.  
„Emergency? Of what kind?“ queried Seto, back in business mode.  
Slate-blue eyes held azure, when the vice-president squared his shoulders and replied,  
„Our mole is dead.“

_If the sky that we look upon  
Should tumble and fall  
And the mountains should crumble to the sea  
I won't cry, I won't cry, no I won't shed a tear  
Just as long as you stand, stand by me_

Black, hand-tailored leather flapped dramatically as they strode for the elevators.  
At sixteen, almost seventeen, Mokuba reached just past Seto's shoulder.  
Though his gait still had a little more spring than his brother's, it was no less intimidating.  
Seto on his own had always been able to strike fear into the heart of men.  
But seeing the Kaiba kyoudai storm down the halls of Domino Prefectural Police Headquarters made hardened criminals shrink into quivering balls of mute terror.  
Never glancing right nor left, the tall brunet swung open the door reading  
 _Oshiro Hisashi, Detective Chief Superintendent_.  
„Where is he?“ roared the elder Kaiba, Mokuba two steps behind.  
The chief superintendent merely gave him a tired gaze.  
„Kaiba-sama. Kaiba-san. Thank you for coming on such short notice.“  
Seto was livid.  
„Enough with the pleasentaries. You didn't answer my question!“  
„His wife -well widow, now, is with him.“  
Seto growled.  
„How did he die?“ Leaning back in his chair, the older official replied,  
„That's the curious thing. Apparently, he jumped out a window.“  
„My employees don't just jump to their death! _Especially_ not after I promoted them only a few months prior!“ roared the CEO.  
Nodding, the superintendent agreed,  
„Indeed, that's what puzzled us, too. Which is why we called you in, immediately. Also, there was no suicide note. Yet..“  
„Yet?“ urged Mokuba.  
„Yet we found among the papers on his desk a rater - _intriguing_ endorsement on a file regarding the untertakings of Guntai Enterprises.“   
Grey-brown eyes, hazel sprinkled with granite, narrowed in thought.  
„Do you know a certain..Jounouchi Masahiro?"  
It took every ounce of self-control he had for Seto not to grab hold of the nearest chair and smash it through the wall.

 _And darlin', darlin', stand by me, ohohoo  
Stand by me  
Stand by stand by me stand by me_

Katsuya rubbed his face, then trapped his nose between his hands.  
Ever since Seto and Mokuba had returned from the police headquarters, the atmosphere in the manor had been strained.  
They had filled him in on what the police had found out to this point and also what Kaiba Corp's own investigative team could carve up, but still..something didn't add up.  
They were not telling him everything, he just knew it.   
For some reason or another, both Mokuba and Seto were not completely open...  
„Athou?“  
Katsuya looked up.  
Sure enough, Shizkua stood there, holding Hitomi up for the blond to take her.  
„Hey there, big girl, look who's up and awake“ cheered the blond, as he took the happy bundle from his sister.  
Four months old now, Hitomi was a quirky, gleefull, energetic little sunshine of hazel hair and bright green eyes with an appetite worthy of either a Honda or Jounouchi.  
And Katsuya was almost as crazy about her as Hiroto.  
Cooing and making funny noises, he spoke to his niece, occasionally tickling her and relishing the giggles and squeals he elicted from the baby girl.  
Shizuka stood there, watching in contentment how her ani entertained her daughter. Katsuya had always been good with children, and since he didn't have any of his own, he showered little Hitomi with all the love and affection he could spare.  
Which lead to sometimes almost hilarious situations at the lunch, respectively dinner table, when her husband and brother would argue who would get to feed the little °chohou na hito.  
Still, there was something about Katsuya that irked her. She couldn't put a finger on it, but somehow the blond felt a little..reserved.  
She had asked him, of course, and he had told her in rather vague terms about a tragic event concerning Kaiba Corp, but nothing too vital.  
Prodding her brothers-in-law had proven even less fruitful; Mokuba had been evasive and Seto just clamped up.  
The brunette shook her head; it was pointless to worry her head about it.   
If it was business related, she really had no right to dig too deep.  
She only hoped that it would not marr her loved ones' marriage.

 _Darlin', darlin', stand by me, hoo~oo, stand by me  
ohh, stand by me, stand by me, stand by me_

Seto had a knack for scars.  
Not his own, mind you, or anybody else's, but his husband's soley.  
The faint, sometimes jagged lines scattered across the blond's body enticed, fascinated, aroused him. He lapped, nipped, kissed, traced them with mouth, tongue and fingers, knowing the story of each and every single one of them.  
Som were sad, some were heart-wrenching, bitter or gruesome, others were almost comical or at least bizarre, but they all had one thing in common:  
they were dark.  
It had not been a concious act, but a natural development as their trust and love had grown to the point where the both of them could share the pain and deepest, most shameful and best guarded secrets of their shattered youths.  
A small crescent moon, two fingerbroad to the right of his navel; a stabwound from a shoplift gone wrong.  
The tiny well above his left elbow, where the bullet from a gang war had passed through.  
An eclipse, only visible if one really knew what to look for, reminded of the price Katsuya had had to pay for his emancipation.  
Seto trailed his tongue the entirety of Katsuya's left side upwards; the 'Pan-American Highway' as the brunet had dubbed it, remnant of when a barbed wire had hindered the former delinquent's escape.   
Katsuya lay there, dazed, content, feeling cherished, as he basked in his spouse's ministrations.  
He loved the undeterred attention Seto lavished him with, in a way almost more than the sex they had.  
Of course, the sex was almost always great(jetlags, finals and take-overs sometimes lead to a lack in performance), but this..this never failed.  
If anyone would have asked Katsuya what perfection was, he would have answered this.  
These small, rare bubbles of tenderness and affection, these moments that existed beyond time, beyond reality; silvery pink pearls of magnolia softness and gentle devotion.  
Katsuya smiled softly; it never ceased to amaze him how truly gentle Seto was. Behind that stoic demeanor and often downright cold and harsh exterior lay a heart so sweet, so tender, Katsuya more than often worried that he might break it with but a spiteful word or reckless action.  
Seto was possessive because he cared, because he feared, because he had lost so many and so much which he held dear that the very thought of losing something more frightened him.  
Kaiba Seto was often compared to his favourite Blue Eyes, which he was, but Katsuya new that hidden deep within the magnificent beast was a tiny, sad little kitten hungry for love and comfort.   
The ministrations Seto devoted to his, Katsuya's body, were but a mirror, a way to express his own needs beyond words.  
No one, not even Mokuba, was privvy to this very part of Seto, and when Katsuya pulled his husband into a grateful, affectionate embrace, curtaining them both with his endless long golden hair, he silently renewed his vow to himself:  
to keep Seto and Mokuba safe by any means necessary.

~*They had taken out the bodyguards -including Isono -with a flash grenade and machine gun salve; one of the bullets had hit Seto's leg, rendering him half-blind and immobile, and rushed in to seize his younger brother.  
Mokuba, who had undergone some self-defence tutelage, had given back in kind, until he got maced. He had fought back, still, but one of the kidnappers had caught his arm and, with a cruel twist, broken it.  
Mokuba had yelped out in pain -and a deafening scream had answered.  
In a flurry of gold, white, red and black, Katsuya had descened upon his enemies like some otherworldy being made of vengeance and possessiveness.   
The guy clutching Mokuba's arm didn't even have time to blink before his nose was smashed in with a sickening crush.  
Jou had hurled Mokuba to the floor, where the teen landed none too gently on his older brother, then used his own momentum to roundhouse-kick another goon out of comission.  
By then, Seto and two of the bodyguards had gathered enough of their senses to draw their guns in order to back-up Jounouchi.  
Which was not really necessary.  
The raging blond had whirled, moved, twisted, weaved in and out amongst the kidnappers, raining blows, kicks, stabs and punches as he went; like a sick, perverted, gorey dance of violence and bloodshed.  
And Seto had wept inwardly, realizing that this beautiful, bloodthristy, deadly beast of prey had willingly given itself over to him body and soul; accepting the blue-eyed brunet as its one true master and chosen mate.  
Within an hour-and a half, everything had been settled; all wounded had been accustomed to the Kaiba Clinic and being operated on(Isono was still waiting for his liver transplant). One of the bodyguards had to be put in an artificial coma due to the bullet in his head, but was making a full recovery, even as two of his other collegues were let out two weeks later with a assembly of scars on their backs and sides, respectively.  
Mokuba, aside of the broken arm, which had healed perfectly, had suffered only a couple of bruises. Same went for Seto, aside of the bullet-wound-turned-speck on his right calve.  
A busted lip, a multitude of bruises and some cuts as well as a couple of busted knuckles where Katsuya's toll to pay.  
So far, the evening had turned out not too grievous -for the Kaiba party, that is to say.  
Their opponents were not...quite as lucky. Then again, what did they thought was gonna happen, when messing with the Kaiba family?~*

„Seto?“  
He knocked again, a little louder, but not too.  
Mokuba furrowed his brow.  
He tried the door and found it unlocked.  
Gently stepping inside, he cast a glance at the gigantic bed and the large mound on it.  
„Nii-san? Katsu-ni?“  
A breathy sigh, a small rustle, the bodies settled again.  
Stealthely, the raven-haired teen slid closer, ready to avert his eyes...  
It was a nest.  
Comforter, sheets, cushions, pillows arranged to a make-shift fort, in which the two men lay curled up into one another, Seto's head resting on Katsuya's chest who held the brunet in a protective embrace.  
It almost broke his heart knowing that they would eventually have to wake up and face the world.  
Mokuba smiled, swallowed the lump in his throat and wiped at the tears stinging his eyes.  
Quietly, he slipped out and shut the door closed noiselessly.

_Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me,  
Hoohooh stand by me  
Oh stand now, stand by me, stand by me_

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
I just realized, Seto is being somewhat..sappy in this chapter. And yes, you read well: this is the fighting scene from the previous chapter; here from Katsuya's pov. 

 

*Shouri no uta: Victory song, a mere exclamation here  
°Kesenai Tsumi: If you know this, hello there, fellow FMA fan. For all others, the first ending of the original Full Metal Alchemist anime series.


	25. Sweet and because of it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When this song first came out I, like many other innocent minds, thought it to be a beautifully sad, longing love song. Naturally, it fitted well into the story. Only in recent years I learned that it is actually "a nasty little song", to quote its creator, _Sting_.  
> You guessed right: _Every breath you take_ by _The Police_.  
> And it fits the plot even better when taken from that 'nasty' angle. Akso, psst, plot twist.

_77\. Sweet and because of it_

As opposed to most people's expectations, Kaiba had decided not to swoop anything under the rug.  
Instead, his mole's death was being handled as what it was:  
a murder case.  
No stone was left unturned, no expenses saved to bring the murderer to justice. Kaiba Corporation's very own intelligence service was backing up the police.  
Of course, everybody knew this was a power play, but he'd be damned if the blue-eyed CEO didn't make it obvious that he was the ultimate adversary.  
Only a complete and utter fool or someone very, very desperate would think of harming him, his family or company.

_Every breath you take_  
Every move you make  
Every bond you break  
Every step you take  
I'll be watching you 

„Moshi moshi?“  
„How is our project coming along?“  
„Well, one of the gardeners is still on probationary period and awaiting further instructions.“  
„Very good. And the other one?“  
„Ja, he will have to resubmit his application form; HR had a hiccup in their system.“  
„Tell them to hurry up. I would hate for the garden to go another season without tending.“  
„Hai. Wakarimashita.“

_Every single day_  
Every word you say  
Every game you play  
Every night you stay  
I'll be watching you 

"-and notify the AIB about the debt issue; we paid back everything with interest and they're still nagging me about it. Also, no bond swap with TSB, ICBC and certainly _not _with Zenith."__  
"Very well, Seto-sama, anything else?"  
The CEO paused a moment, then asked in a quieter voice,  
"How is your liver transplant coming along, Isono-san?"  
The consultant allowed himself a little smile at the honoration.  
"Quite well, Seto-sama. Thank you for asking. Despite it not being a one-hundred percent compability, my body has fully accepted the new organ."  
Seto nodded once, gratiously.  
"I'm happy to hear that. And I'm happy to have you back", he confessed.  
Isono smiled anew, warm and knowingly.  
"Glad to be back, sir. Arigatou gozaimashita."  
For a moment, both men walked in silence, then the assistant continued,  
"As for our quarter-yearly revenue; I think I might have found some loopholes costing us a fair share on the principals, particularly the ones concerning..."

_____Oh, can't you see  
You belong to me  
How my poor heart aches  
with every step you take_

___Mokuba sat transfixed opposite Hitomi and stared. Gently, he rose the hand with the small spoon and aimed it towards the baby's face._  
"Come on, Hitomi, one for 'kaa-san, one for-"  
The girl blew a raspberry, in turn spraying her banana-rice-mush all over her uncle's giri no ani's face. Her mother giggled.  
"Well, looks like somebody is in a good mood* she smiled, as she reached for a napkin and handed it to Mokuba.  
The raven-haired teen scowled.  
"Ja, well, nice to see that at least _somebody's _enjoying themselves" he grunted, as he wiped himself off.  
Hitomi squealed in delight and bounced in her chair, even as Shizuka giggled anew.  
"Just wait, Mokuba, once you have kids of your own, you'll be just as fond and forgiving as my brother is."  
The raven-haired teen squinted an eye at her...a strange, sudden thought crossed his mind...__

________Every move you make  
Every vow you break  
Every smile you fake  
Every claim you stake  
I'll be watching you_ _

_______"Mokuba, think about it. Even if I don't give a name or any personal details upon donation, I am a public figure. My face is well-known, not only throughout Japan. Can you imagine what would happen if people got their hands on my semen? All of a sudden, we would find ourselves flodded with fathership claims and golddiggers trying to get ahold of the Kaiba fortune."_  
He shook his head.  
"If at all, it would have to be one single surrogate mother and by artificial insemification. And I don't see that happening."  
Mokuba pouted.  
"Not even taking it into-"  
"Dame desu. Not at all."  
The younger Kaiba's eyes turned sly.  
"What about Katsuya? Did you ask him?"  
A flinch in his left index finger, a subtle shift in his eye colour, and Mokuba knew he had struck a nerve.  
"We..discussed it. Katsuya is uncertain, but figured there is no need to rush into..things."  
Mokuba smirked.  
Translation: Katsuya had Seto convinced to have both their sperm frozen and keep quiet about it. 

________Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace  
I dream at night I can only see your face  
I look around but it's you I can't replace  
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace  
I keep crying baby, baby please_ _

______He stared.  
A sudden tightness of the throat, but he swallowed around the lump, and didn't move.  
He just stared.  
Stared at the letter with the black letterhead of Domino Prefectural State Penitantiary and the custom, meaningless introduction before reading the content again._ _

____'Haikei Jounouchi-san,_ _ _ _

_____we hereby are very saddened to inform you that your father, Jounouchi Masahiro, has passed away two days prior to you receiving this letter.  
His death was the result of complications during an emergency operation trying to save his eyesight and facial restruction after having been involved in a prison riot.  
As by your wishes...'_ _ _

_______Katsuya dropped the hand holding the letter._  
For a moment, an eternity, he gazed into nothingness, as thoughts, images, memories, sounds whirled through his mind, keeping it equally occupied and numb.  
He checked his feelings; semi-curious as of what to expect, but he felt strangely...indifferent.  
No pain, no grief, no loss, no anger just...emptiness. He was so empty, it didn't even hurt.  
And weary.  
It was over.  
His father was gone. 

_______Oh, can't you see  
You belong to me  
How my poor heart aches  
with every step you take_ _ _

_______"I see."_  
She listened to the other person, then wiped a stray tear away.  
"Hai. I see", she repeated, then gave a chuckle, half-pained, half embarassed.  
"So desu, ne, but still..", she gave a deep sigh.  
"I sometimes wonder, you know..if things could have been different -I mean, everything..."  
She trailed off, as her conversation partner cut her short.  
A nod, a small sigh, then a rueful, broken laughter.  
"Hai. Hai. So desu, ne. Arigatou gozaimashita, Katsuya-nii."  
Shizuka hung up, then gazed for a moment forlornly at the screen. Perfect white teeth bit a full, rosy underlip, as the young mother pondered the news she had received.  
Then she shook her head and placed her cell phone aside.  
Determindedly, she strode towards Hitomi's room.  
Her father had been given so many chances and had never taken them.  
It was time to move on. 

________Every move you make  
Every vow you break  
Every smile you fake  
Every claim you stake  
I'll be watching you_ _

____Kawaii-san read the letter. The details, condolences, explanation; every single dot and radical twice, three, four times over.  
Then she held the paper to her chest and sighed a breath of relief she couldn't recall holding for over thirteen years._ _ _ _

______Every move you make  
Every step you take  
I'll be watching you_ _ _ _

_____I'll be watching you_ _ _ _ _

_______Kawashiro Yuji gazed down at the man in the cheap wooden coffin.  
There were..similarities, there; the high cheekbones, ash blond hair and strong chin, but otherwise..there were too many scars to really tell.  
If he hadn't known any better, he would have said that the body before him did not belong to Jounouchi Masahiro.  
Then again, considering the damage which had been done to this one's face, it was a miracle the surgeons had been able to restore it at all.  
Guess, he would not reclaim that book._

______(Every breath you take  
Every move you make  
Every bond you break)_ _ _ _

_____I'll be watching you_ _ _ _ _

______(Every single day  
Every word you say) Ooh  
(Every claim you stake)_ _ _ _

_____I'll be watching you_ _ _ _ _

____°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°  
As of Oktober 2019, Japan still retains the death penalty. Usually this is reserved for convicted murderers and done by hanging. In recent years, the debate wether or not abolish it has been on the rise. On an average, Japan executes the death penalty on about twenty people per year._ _ _ _


End file.
